The Difference Between Slytherin & Gryffindor
by Sensula
Summary: Hermione has a secret from the whole school; her twin is Slytherin's smooth talker, Anteros Fletcher. They spend every summer together, just them. But Draco's along this time and she promised to behave for Anteros. The problem is keeping that promise.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: This is my first Harry Potter fanfic, so reviews are accepted. Flamers will be replied with a sharp retort if I so deem it needs one, or ignored. So, please don't post them. Thank you. Please Enjoy. P.S: This takes place during the summer between fifth and sixth year, though may or may not go along with the book. Currently still in my head.**

Hermione sat on the car's seat, lying flat on her back and staring up at the luggage rack above her as the train rolled on the tracks, swaying her back and forth. Harry and Ron had gone of to find some other students to play Wizard Chess, leaving her in peace. She was secretly glad that school was over for the summer. She felt this every year, though she would never admit it. She had to keep her bookworm reputation in tact for the Gryffindors. But, as to the reason of her glad it was summer; that reason had opened the door to the car.

She looked at the person upside down and smiled. He was tall, had nicely combed black hair, dark blue eyes, a straight nose, strong chin, chiseled features, and a smile that made her heart beat quickly. But not in the way of romantic love. Hermione raised herself up a bit and the young man sat down where her head was. She laid back down, resting her head on his lap, and smiled. "I've missed you, Anteros," she said.

He smiled down at her and ruffled her hair gently, but not messing it up too badly. "We saw each other every day," he said.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Yeah, but it's kind of hard to have a friendly twin talk when you're in Slytherin and I'm in Gryffindor. What would the houses think if we were nice to each other?"

Anteros chuckled and said, "That we'd gone completely bonkers."

Hermione smiled. She loved her twin brother more than she did Harry and Ron. Anteros was her other half and they shared everything. Unfortunately, since she had been sorted into Gryffindor and he into Slytherin in their first years, they'd had to pretend to hate each other. No one knew that she had a twin, except for Harry and Ron, of course.

Anteros, though, was the reason she loved the end of school. At home, they didn't have to worry about putting up fronts. Their parents were usually away from the house, so, for the next three months, it would be just them. They would chill out, hang with friends, get into mischief, and spend as much time together as they could stand. Until, of course, she had to go to the Burrow to go shopping with the Weasleys. Then she wouldn't be able to talk to him until next summer unless they planned a secret meeting or something.

She felt a tap on her forehead and looked up at her twin. "I know that look, Mione," he said, still smiling. "You're worried about our quality time."

She laughed. "You know me so well," she said.

"True," he replied. "But don't worry. We have all summer to have fun...except..."

Hermione narrowed her eyes. She'd heard this tone before. He had bad news. Well, bad news for her. His tone said that it was good for him, in a way. It had that slight guilty sound to it, as if sorry to ruin her plans.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Anteros blinked and said, "Well, I invited someone to stay with us for the summer. Now, before you get angry," he said quickly, "he's promised to be on his best behavior. I only told him that I had a sister. I asked him to come with us because I thought it might be good of him to get away from his family for a while. Troubles, you know."

Hermione sat up slowly and said, "You could have asked my input. Seriously, even an Owl over breakfast would have been nice."

He sighed. "I didn't tell you, because I thought you were going to trust me. I understand how much crap we'd get if people figured out we were twins, but I trust this guy to not to tell." He met her gaze and she stared into his blue orbs. They looked nothing alike, but couldn't be closer if they were Siamese twins.

She groaned softly in defeat and raised her hands up as if surrendering. "I give, Ant," she said, using her pet name for him, though it was ironic. She sighed and said, "I'll be nice. I won't hassle anyone or anything. I'll trust you."

Anteros tapped his heart. "Twin Promise," he said. They'd come up with it when they were 8 and had decided that pinky promises and crossing your heart weren't good enough. Their connection was stronger than any of those children promises.

Hermione placed her hand over his heart and he placed his over hers. "I, Hermione Granger, promise on our connection, to not be mean to your guest. I will behave and be nice to him...unless he really really pisses me off." she added the last.

Anteros laughed and said, "I, Anteros Fletcher, accept your promise." He leaned forward and hugged her. "Thanks, Mione. This means a lot to me," he said.

Hermione returned her brother's hug and said, "I know."

She did. While she was free to go to the Burrow and visit the Weasley clan, Anteros had no one in the wizarding community to go to for company when she was away. He was stuck in their neighborhood with the Muggles. Though they were dear friends, they weren't anyone he could talk to about Quidditch or anything magical. If having his friend over made him happy, she would play nice. Even if the person was undoubtably Slytherin.

The train started to slow, signaling Anteros' cue to leave. He had to return to his House's car and gather his things. He stood up and squeezed her hand. "Will you make cookies like you usually do?" he asked.

She rolled her eyes. "Duh. It's our tradition. Stay up late on our first night back and gossip about the Houses while munching on cookies." She gently kicked his heal with her shoe. "Go. You have to get ready to ignore or belittle me on the platform." Anteros laughed and left, closing the door of the compartment.

Once he was gone, Hermione let her smile fade. They wouldn't have any Twin time. She just knew it. Anteros' friend would take his attention, leaving her behind. Their small traditions, like the one tonight, would be lost this year. She mentally slapped herself. She was being selfish. If Anteros wanted something that made him happy, she would be a big girl and deal with it.

Confident in the resolve, she put her smile back on and pulled on her jacket. It was red with gold trim on the outside, but the inside lining was dark green with silver thread. She wasn't too thrilled about it, but didn't bother changing it. It looked nice and could be reversed for when she mocked Slytherin. Plus, the lining kept her warm enough on the windy train platforms.

Ron and Harry came back in, their pockets jingling from their winnings. They had started betting on the games a while back, claiming it made them more interesting. Yeah, right. It relieved their fellow students of a couple of coins and it filled Ron and Harry's pockets.

Harry smiled at her. "You look happy," he said. "Was Anteros here?"

"Just missed him," Hermione said, taking her trunk down from the luggage rack.

Ron snorted. "I still can't believe your twin got sent to Slytherin," he grumbled.

Hermione fought hard not to roll her eyes at that statement. He'd been repeating it forever. "Honestly, Ron," she said. "It's been almost six years. Have you still not gotten over that?"

He turned to her, pushing his red hair out of his eyes. "It's hard to think that there are two of you, Hermione. But it's a male version and he looks nothing like you."

She smiled to herself. "Of course not, Ron," she said, opening the door. "I'm a girl and much prettier." She left him there with his mouth open, trying to come up with a comeback.

The train corridor was crowded with students trying to get out onto the platform. Hermione was shoved from the side and fell against someone. "Sorry," she said, placing a hand on the wall and pushing herself upright. She looked up to see who she'd run into and froze.

"I'm flattered, Granger," Malfoy said, smirking like he usually did. Hermione pushed herself away from him, but she was shoved again and landed against Malfoy. Hard. The force had them landing in a pile on the floor.

Hermione opened her eyes and found Malfoy above her. That damn smirk still on his face. "I'm starting to think you like me, Granger. Too bad I don't go for Mudbloods."

She shoved him off her, grabbed her trunk, and turned. She followed the crowd onto the platform and found a pillar to lean against as she felt the big bump on the back of her head. It was tender and she hissed in pain as her fingers touched it. She must have hit it on her trunk when she fell. Now, all she had to do was wait for the platform to thin out to nothing and then she, Anteros, and their guest could go home.

She spent her time talking to Ginny as she waited for her brothers to get off the train. Ron still hadn't come up with a comeback, but he gave her a 'happy summer' and a promise to see her when they needed to shop for their school supplies. Hermione waved the Weasleys and Harry off, feeling slightly lonely.

There was a hard cough and Hermione looked to find Anteros with his trunk. She smiled slightly, then said, "Where's your friend? Mom and Dad won't like it if we're late meeting them."

Anteros chuckled. "I'm so glad you're the uptight twin," he said.

She blushed. "I'm not uptight," she protested, though she knew that he was right. She was the uptight one in any grouping. Harry and Ron, she was the one to keep them focused. With her and Anteros, she planned and he made sure she had fun along the way. She shook herself out of those depressing thoughts.

"Oh," she said. "I forgot to ask. Who's your friend?"

"I didn't know you were friendly with Anteros, Granger."

Hermione didn't take her eyes off of her twin as she heard the voice. Anteros didn't even look sorry. Slowly, Hermione looked past Anteros and glared at Malfoy. "What's he doing here?" she said.

"What's Granger doing here?" Malfoy asked, his eyebrow raising high on his forehead.

Hermione felt her hand itch to slap the demeaning look on his face, but stilled her hand. She reminded herself of her promise. Thankfully, Anteros saved her from saying anything. He put a comforting arm around Hermione's shoudlers.

"Malfoy," he said, smiling. "I'd like you to meet Hermione Granger, my twin sister. Mione, I'd like you to meet our guest for the summer."

**Yay! You've made it to the end of the first chapter. Now, see the blue words under this note? Yeah, take your mouse and click it. Review, okay? It would make me happy and a happy Sensula makes...well, you'll just have to see. Thanks for reading.**


	2. Chapter 2

Draco stayed silent through the entire ride to Anteros' house. When he'd agreed to come with Anteros and spend the summer with him, he had thought he'd meet his friend's 'cute and amazing' sister. Not find out that his best friend was the twin of Gryffindor's Miss Know-It-All. Great Slytherin, he hadn't even known that Anteros had a twin! Some friend he was. How could it have taken five years to figure out that it was Granger? Well, they did have the whole school fooled.

He cast a glance over at Hermione, who was sitting on the other side of Anteros, who had claimed the middle as a human divider. She was looking out the window, but was listening to her brother's words as he tried to calm her down. Draco knew the mudblood had a temper, having been on the receiving end of her tongue and her fist, but it was amazing to see Anteros using his silver tongue to calm her down. Their parents, though, were quiet and staying out of the way. By the time they had arrived at the house, Hermione had relaxed. She'd come to terms with his staying.

The moment the car stopped, she opened the door and slid out. Anteros rolled his eyes at Draco. "Sisters are a pain, sometimes," he said.

Draco nodded, though he wouldn't know. He was an only child. He didn't know what siblings were like. He opened the car door and got out, closing it behind him. He looked around and saw Anteros taking their trunks out of the back. He set them on the drive way and closed the lid to the car's trunk. He tapped it and stepped out of the way.

Draco was confused by this action until he saw the car move out of the driveway. Mr. Granger leaned out of the window and said, "We'll be home late. Have fun, kids."

Hermione raised her hand. "Will do, dad," she called as the parents drove out of sight. She lowered her hand and was about to turn to them, but a loud voice yelled "HERMIONE!" The next thing Draco knew, Hermione had been bowled over by a girl in a bright yellow dress and a white flowing top.

The mudblood staggered a bit, but raised her arms and embraced the girl in her arms. "Sophia," she said, hugging tight. Immediately, the sulking Granger was replaced by a grinning one.

The girl pulled back and then threw herself into Anteros' arms. "I'm so glad you're both home. I've been so bored," she said.

Anteros laughed and set her down. The girl didn't reach Draco's navel and looked to be about 10. Her black hair was pulled into a tight braid, but her smile was wide with happiness. "I missed you guys. You get to go off to a cool boarding school and I have to stay here and go to public school. The people don't like me there and I always miss you. Especially when we stay up late and watch movies and munch on popcorn. Do you know how many times i've had to watch movies by myself? It's pathetic. But now you're here and we can have tons of fun." The girl finally got a break in her talking and drew in a large breath.

Draco dreaded what she would say next, but Anteros thankfully leaned down and said, "We missed you too, Sophia. But we just got back and we have a guest with us." He took the girl's shoulders and turned her to face Draco. "This is my friend from school. His name's Draco Malfoy."

Sophia curtsied. "Nice to meet you, Draco," she said politely. Then, she went of on another rant. "You have a cool name. You know your name means 'dragon', right? It's interesting. And it's cool. Why did your parents name you that? My parents wanted me to have a unique name, but I think it's stupid. Are you staying long? Maybe we could watch some movies together or something. You know, you're really cute." Her eyes went wide. "Are you the same Draco Malfoy that Hermione-"

"Sophia," the mudblood said quickly, cutting off what she was about to say. "Why don't you help me with unpacking? You can tell me all about public school, okay?" The young girl nodded and grabbed an edge of Granger's trunk. Hermione smiled a small smile to her brother before going into the house.

Draco blinked and said, "That girl talks a lot."

Anteros laughed and picked up his trunk. "Sophia is our neighbor and we've known her all her life. Her parents aren't around a lot and she doesn't have anyone but us. Don't worry, you'll get use to her."

Draco sniffed. "I'm not sure I want to," he mumbled.

His friend stopped and turned, having caught his words. "Draco, I have to tell you that Hermione isn't thrilled with you being here," he said.

"I got that part quite clearly back in that thing you call a 'car'," Draco said.

Anteros shook his head. "It's not just about you being you. It's about the risk of you telling everyone at school that we're related. If people found that out, we'd be harassed for the rest of our school careers. Not to mention we'd lose a lot of our friends." He turned fully to face Draco. He'd never seen his friend look so serious, though. "Hermione has promised to not get angry at you, or chase you off, unless you make her mad first. She'll behave. Will you?"

Draco was tempted to say no, but could see how important this was for Anteros. Draco had known Anteros to know that this meant a lot to him. "You're pretty close to your sister, aren't you?" he asked. His best friend nodded gravely. Sighing in defeat, Draco said, "Alright. I'll behave."

The relief on his friend's face was a shock at how tense he'd been. "Thanks, Drake," he said. "Come on, I'll help you to the guest room."

As Draco lifted his own trunk, he'd read somewhere that Muggles didn't have House Elves, and was carrying it inside when he thought of something. "How did you get into Slytherin if you're a mud-muggle born?" He caught himself in time from saying 'mudblood'. He had no problem calling Granger that, but not his friend.

Anteros smiled. "I knew you were going to ask that," he said. "Hermione and I are adopted. Never met our real parents, but we know that we're pureblood."

"What about the Slythering/Gryffindor thing?" Draco asked, rolling his trunk through the front door. The house was way smaller than his, but it was cozy. He could hear Hermione and the young girl Sophia upstairs.

Anteros carried his trunk up the steps. Draco lifted his and did it as well. It was really heavy, though, and he had to stop a couple of times to catch his breath. How Muggles did without House Elves to apparate their luggage to places, was beyond him.

Anteros turned at the top of the stairs to wait for his friend. "Well, that, we have no idea. Hermione and I have thought about what could have happened, but nothing adds up, even with our knowledge of the wizarding world. Hermione guesses it could have been because of our parents but, without knowing who they were, we'll never prove that theory." He paused as he watched Draco carry the trunk up a few steps and set it down again. "Not use to carrying your own trunk?"

Draco, too out of breath to respond with words, nodded his head. "House...elves..." he panted out. His normally combed back hair was falling in front of his face.

Anteros nodded his head as if understanding. "You'll only have to do this once more, and that's when you leave," he said, hoping it would cheer his friend up. It did. A little.

Draco finally managed his trunk up to the second floor and followed Anteros into a room to their left. It held a comfortable bed, a wardrobe, a bureau, and a personal bathroom. It wasn't like Draco's own room, but it held a feeling of openness and welcome and was colored in pale blues and off whites. He placed his trunk by the door and turned to his friend.

There was a loud giggle and the sound of running feet. Sophia darted past Anteros in the doorway and hid behind Draco. Her eyes peeked around his black coat. It looked like she was using him as a shield.

Another set of footsteps, calm footsteps, came down the hallway and Granger appeared in the doorway. She had changed into a pair of comfortable jeans and a loose t-shirt, her hair pulled back into a ponytail. Draco had never seen her look so relaxed before. She crossed her arms and said, "Sophia, you have to give that back."

"But it's pretty," the young girl whined. Draco almost laughed at the sound.

Granger tapped her foot, unmoved. "It's not yours. You need to give it back."

Sophia looked up at Draco with her big eyes. "I want to keep it. It's so pretty," she said, holding up a small vial holding a silver strand of what looked like hair. Draco recognized it as a memory. "Tell her I can keep it," Sophia pleaded, showing him a pout that almost had him doing what she wanted.

But he knelt down and said, "It is pretty, but it isn't yours. What if it was precious to Hermione? It is hers and it isn't right if you take it without asking. You should give it back."

Sophia looked defeated and almost about to cry. But she sniffed and nodded. "Okay." She walked over and handed it to Granger. "Sorry, Hermione," she said in a soft voice.

Draco watched as the mudblood took the vial and knelt down, hugging the child. "It's okay, Sophia. Just ask next time, okay?" She pulled back and tapped the little girl's nose with her finger. "How about I make some Bangers and Mash and some Shepherd's Pie?" She looked up and asked, "Is that alright with you boys?"

Anteros nodded. "You make the best Shepherd's Pie, sis." He looked up and said, "You haven't tasted anything like Hermione's food, Draco. I swear she's the best cook in the world."

Draco saw Granger roll her eyes at his exaggeration and he smiled. It was a genuine smile, not forced. The look on her face was just really funny to him. The banter was also amusing. So, this was what siblings acted like.

Granger stood up, taking Sophia's hand and said, "Dinner will be ready in a few minutes." With that she left.

"Hermione's really good with kids," Anteros said.

Draco nodded. He looked up at his friend and said, "Yes, but she's really different here."

Anteros shrugged. "She's promised not to get angry, so enjoy her calmness for now. She'll probably be chewing your ear off after a while. Other than than, enjoy yourself this summer. I'm sure you're going to have fun." Draco nodded again. He'd have to agree with his friend. This was going to be one interesting summer.


	3. Chapter 3

Hermione tied on a white apron over her clothes and made sure her hair was in a secure ponytail before turning to Sophia. The young girl was sitting on a barstool, a converted American iPod player sitting next to her. Because of the electronic differences between the UK and the US mechanics, there was some special finagling that needed to be done, but Hermione was clueless about it. Sophia, on the other hand, knew what was going on. Just as Hermione had started the oven preheat and gotten the mixing bowls out, Victoria Justice's song 'Make it Shine' filled the kitchen. Sophia liked American music.

Hermione couldn't help but dance to the song. She two stepped and swayed, singing along with the words as she cooked. Sophia sang with the parts that she remembered, but mostly set the table and turned so her skirt flared around her. Hermione smiled at her little friend was having a blast. She hadn't had this much fun cooking since last summer. At Hogwarts, there wasn't much need for cooking and Muggle appliances didn't work on the grounds.

Soon, the song ended and Shakira's 'Hips Don't Lie' came on. Hermione didn't dance to it, but watched Sophia. She'd been taking dance classes and it showed. Some of the moves were too flexible for Hermione, so she just enjoyed watching while she finished up the Shepherd's Pie, slipped it into the oven, and started on the Bangers and Mash.

As she waited for the food to cook, Sophia came up and pulled Hermione out of the kitchen. "Dance with me," she pleaded.

Hermione sighed at the look and watched as Sophia started the song again. Hermione listened for a few moments, then swung her hips. It wasn't the level of Sophia's dancing, but she soon lost herself to the music. She soon had her whole body swinging to the music. She turned and saw her brother and Draco watching the two girls dancing. Color filled her cheeks and she cleared her throat. "Dinner will be ready soon," she said.

She retreated to the kitchen, embarrassed that she'd been caught dancing in the kitchen. Not by Anteros. He'd seen her dancing all the time. No, she was embarrassed that Malfoy had seen her. No doubt, he would take everything she did and use it as blackmail. Not only that, but it was Malfoy. He was Harry's enemy and a total git. But she had promised not to get mad.

Hermione returned to her cooking and pulled out some vegetables. She started cutting and put equal proportions on four plates. She checked the timer on the oven. "Dinner in 2 minutes. Get what you want to drink," she said.

Anteros got some cups from the cupboard and poured some milk for Sophia, and some regular soda into the ones for him, Draco, and Hermione. She reached over, took a sip of hers, then turned around to take the food from the oven. It took a minute to prepare the plates and another one to get everyone settled at the table.

No one said grace, but ate in silence. Except for Sophia, who just had to tell everyone about school. She chatted about teachers, sports, music class, lunch, and recess. "What is your school like?" she suddenly asked.

Hermione looked at Anteros. They'd been careful not to mention anything magical. All Sophia knew was that it was a boarding school far away and it was special. She didn't know how to answer the question but she was surprised when Malfoy spoke up.

"It's kind of like yours," he said. "We have classes, free time, meals, and friends. Not much, really. Kind of boring."

Sophia nodded, drinking her milk. "Can I spend the night?" she asked.

Hermione looked over at him. "Your parents might be worried about you," she said.

"No, they're not," Sophia said, looking sad. "They're busy."

Hermione stared at the little girl's sad face. Sophia's parents traveled a lot, though no one really knew what they did. That left their daughter to fend for herself. But having a 10 year old in a house with two wizards and a witch was not a good idea. What if something magical happened while Sophia was around? How would she explain it.

She was about to say no, but saw Malfoy's face from the corner of her eye. He looked...was that empathy on his face? His eyes were on the little girl and Hermione swore she saw the same sadness that was on Sophia's face whenever she talked about her parents. Guess Malfoy didn't have a great family either. Hermione sighed, her mind made up.

"You can stay," she said. Sophia squealed with delight as Anteros raised a questioning eyebrow and Malfoy went back to his food. Hermione smiled at her neighbor. "You can stay, but you have to stay with me, okay? I'm sure Anteros and Malfoy would like to hang out tonight." Hermione then looked at Malfoy. His attention was on his plate and the food. It looked like he was only pushing the food around, not really interested in eating it.

"Is the food not to your liking, Malfoy?" she asked.

He looked up as if he'd been jerked out of his thoughts. His grey eyes met hers and said, "Huh?"

Hermione pointed to his plate with her fork. "You haven't touched your food. Don't you like it?"

Malfoy shook his head. "No, it's fine," he said. "Really good. You're a good cook."

Anteros almost chocked as he heard that. Hermione almost had the same reaction. Draco Malfoy, the famous Mudblood basher, had just paid a compliment to Hermione Granger. With no strings attached or smug tone underlining his words. It was an honest to Gryffindor compliment.

Hermione nodded slightly, still in shock. "Thank you," she said softly. The table fell into silence while everyone ate. It was a bit awkward for Hermione. Sophia, though, started to fill the void. Although Hermione showed interest on her face, she wasn't really listening. Having a Malfoy at her dinner table was the last thing she would have expected this summer. If Harry or Ron saw this, they'd laugh their arses off.

Dinner finished quickly and Hermione cleared the table with the help of Sophia. Before Anteros and Draco could make their get away upstairs, Hermione pulled out a coin. "Flip you for who gets to stay where," she said.

Anteros smiled with the challenge. "Fine. Heads, we get upstairs. Tails, downstairs," he said.

Hermione flipped it and caught it, slapping it to the back of her hand. She smiled, having caught the sight of Tails facing up. She moved her hand and held it out for her brother's view. He smiled and said, "It's Heads."

Hermione looked down and saw that Heads was face up. She opened her mouth in shock. "It was Tails," she said.

"Yeah, right," Anteros said, ruffling her hair.

She pointed a finger at him. "You flipped it," she said.

Anteros put a hand over his heart and put a mock wounded look on his face. "I'm shocked you would say such a thing, Mione. I would never flip the coin so Draco and I could be upstairs and away from you the gaggle you girls make."

Hermione smacked his arm. "We do not gaggle, Ant," she said.

Sophia nodded by her side. "Yeah," she said, imitating Hermione. "We don't gaggle." She crossed her arms and looked up at Anteros.

He smiled and said, "Whatever you say, short stuff." He started to walk away.

"I'm not short!" Sophia called after him and Malfoy. Anteros only laughed.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Ignore them, Soph. Boys are stupid." She turned to the kitchen and said, "How about movies and popcorn?"

Sophia smiled and nodded, running to the pantry and getting the popcorn bags. Hermione started washing the dishes as Sophia made the snacks. She absently had the thought of what Malfoy thought of Anteros.

At school, Anteros was mean, spiteful, and a complete jerk to anyone not Slytherin; except the girls, who he charmed without a thought. At home, he was open and carefree. He was like a big brother to Sophia, teasing her and cheering her up when she got blue. He even helped her with the homework she got over summer holiday. This change in attitude must have thrown Malfoy for a loop...or three. The only thing she was worried about though, as she and Sophia retreated to the living room and set up blankets on the ground for their movie marathon with popcorn, was that Malfoy might not be Anteros' friend anymore. It was a stupid worry,b ut she couldn't help it. She love her brother and she would kill Malfoy if he hurt him. Nothing worse than a sister sticking up for her brother.


	4. Chapter 4

Draco woke up in the guest room, momentarily wondering why his room looked so differently. Then everything came back to him from yesterday. That's right. He was at Anteros' house and was staying with his family. And his twin sister was Hermione Granger. He groaned and rolled out of bed. Well, he could deal with her for the summer. Anything was better than going home to his family and spending the summer listening to his father's lectures of pure blood and the Dark Lord. One could only take so much.

Draco quickly took a shower and dressed in a pair of jeans and a light sweater of green and silver. He looked at the clock. It was almost 11. He had expected to wake up later, after how long he and Anteros had stayed up last night. The Anteros he'd talk to, though, was nothing like the one at Hogwarts. There, he'd been the Slytherin smooth talker. Here, he was just a guy who teased his sister, smiled to their neighbor, and joked around as if he were a normal guy. If Draco hadn't known him so well, he might have been shocked.

He felt his stomach grumble and headed down the stairs to the kitchen. He smelt something sweet and walked into the kitchen, shocked at what he saw. Granger was wearing the same white apron she'd worn yesterday, and was making cookies. The device on the counter was playing some song. The person singing kept saying 'naturally'. It didn't make sense to him, but Granger was signing and swaying as she moved about in the kitchen. She looked at home there.

Draco saw a plate of cookies on the counter and took one. As he bit into it, he couldn't stop the groan that slid past his lips. The flavor was go good and the warmth was just what he needed. The sound, though, had Granger turning around. Her eyes widened at him being there, but she calmed herself and said, "Good morning, Malfoy." It was forced and sounded like she was trying to be nice. Anteros had mentioned a promise to be nice. So he might as well be nice, too.

"These are good, Granger," he said. She'd used his last name, and he would use hers. He took another bite. "They're familiar. Like the ones Anteros gets once a month."

Granger laughed. "They should. I'm the one who made them." Draco looked at the cookies, debating whether to spit them out. This mudblood had made them? How is that possible? Yes, her dinner had been good, but he absolutely loved the cookies Anteros got each month. That decided it for him. He finished his cookie and reached for another.

Granger turned back to her cooking and walked over to a small box. She pushed a button and the front opened. She took out a plate of pancakes and set it in front of him. "Made them this morning for Sophia, but her parents called her away. Might as well eat them, Malfoy," she said, handing him a fork.

He took it and started to eat, his stomach deciding what to eat. The pancakes had a flavor of vanilla and he quickly finished them. The entire time he'd eaten, he'd watched Granger flit around. She looked at home in the kitchen. "You know," he said, drawing her attention. "You're like a good little wife, cooking and moving like that."

He expected her to get angry, that was what he was trying to do, but she only smiled. "Anteros has mentioned that multiple times. But I like it. Makes it feel more homey, doesn't it?" she said. Draco nodded. Yeah, that it did. Especially last night during dinner. Except for the awkward silence, it had felt like a normal family. "But I know you're just dying to ask some questions. It's practically bubbling over in you."

Draco stared for a moment, Granger's voice momentarily breaking him out of his thoughts. What question should he ask first? He had so many. He finally decided on one. "Anteros said you were adopted. If your parents aren't muggles, then what does that make you? And why take different names?"

Granger turned to him and said, "If you'd believe it, we're purebloods."

"So you know who your family is?" he asked. Maybe he knew them.

She nodded. "I do, yes. Anteros, though, doesn't. I haven't told him."

"Who are they?"

Granger laughed. "You think I'd tell you? You'd hate Anteros if you knew."

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Not worried about yourself?" he asked.

"You already hate me. I don't care if you hate me more, but Anteros considers you his best friend. So I'll keep my info to myself." She paused and leaned forward. "Do me a favor and don't tell anyone who Anteros' sister is, okay? Anteros has fiends and I'd hate to have him loose them because of me." the word 'again' hung in the air, unspoken. "That's the reason we have different last names."

"You look after each other, huh?" Draco said.

Granger nodded. 'He's the only true family I have. I hate him sometimes, but I love him more."

Draco almost smiled at her loyalty. It rivaled any Slytherins', he'd met. "What about Potter?" he asked curiously.

She shrugged. "He's a friend." She was about to turn around, but stopped and tilted her head to the side. "Tell you what. I'll tell you something interesting about Harry that even he doesn't know. In return, you have to take out the trash for the entire time you're here."

Draco was thrown for a moment. He had not expected this. She was giving him something about Potter for something as simple as putting the trash out? It seemed too good to be true, but he couldn't pass up the chance learn something useful about his enemy. "Alright," he said.

Granger leaned forward and said, "Harry Potter and a prominent Slytherin share the same blood. They share a maternal great grandmother."

Draco's eyes widened. "Who?" he asked. This was indeed something interesting. He felt bad for whoever was related to that twit.

Granger placed her finger in the flour on the counter between them and moved it. Draco thought she was writing a name, but it turned into an arrow. Pointed straight at him. He looked at it as if it were lying to him, then up at her. "That isn't funny, Granger," he growled.

She smiled. "As much as I would love it to be a joke, I would not wish that on Harry. I found it in the Black Family History. Also, you're related to the Weasleys. Their paternal grandmother was Cendrella Black, making them your 3rd cousins, I believe. Oh, and you're related to the Longbottoms."

Draco sneered. "That's-"

"I'm not done," Granger said, raising a hand to stop his talking.

"More bad news?" he said, growling and grabbing a cookie.

Granger didn't smile, like she'd done with the Weasleys' information. She frowned. "Not from my point of view, but for you, I'm sure you'll be ecstatic. Tom Marvolo Riddle is related to you. Alas, it's only by marriage, so you won't be able to claim that blood."

Draco blinked. This was a lot to take in. Then something stuck with him. "You must have been really bored to find all this out about a house that doesn't concern you." Granger shrugged and turned to pull a plate of cookies out of the oven. "Unless," he said, thinking. "You were researching it because they hold importance for you." Draco watched her scoop the cookies onto another plate. His eyes widened. "You're parents were part of the Black Family."

Granger smiled at him. It was one of approval, though her tone didn't show it. "Give the boy a cookie. He has a brain after all."

"But you said it would make me hate Anteros," Draco said. "Does that mean-"

"Yes, Draco," Granger said. "I use enough brown sugar to make them sweet, but it's mostly due to the sugar." He looked at her as in confusion. What was she spouting? But he got his answer when she smiled brightly over his shoulder and said, "Hi, Anteros. Fresh cookies."

Draco looked around and saw Anteros walk into the kitchen in a pair of jeans, a white tee shirt, and terrible bed hair. "Thanks, Mione. Surprised to see you so civil to Draco. But why are you talking about cookies?"

Granger smiled and said, "I'm explaining how non magical households make cookies." Draco blinked at how fast she'd come up with the lie. "Listen," she said. "I'm going out with a couple of friends to catch a movie. They called last night and invited me. Can you try and not destroy the house while I'm gone?"

Anteros rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah." He frowned for a moment. "You doing with that Thomas kid?"

Draco watched Granger's face turn red. "No," she said. "Just a few friends."

Anteros leaned against the counter. "I don't like him."

Granger frowned. "You don't like any of my guy friends."

"Get better guy friends that aren't sleazy, and then I'll like them."

Granger rolled her eyes. "I might as well date Draco. Then you wouldn't have to worry about not liking him."

Draco stared at her. Did she just say that?

"Do that," Anteros said. "He's better than those losers. Besides, you two would make a nice couple."

Draco stared at him, then. Did _he_ just say that?

Granger picked up a cookie and threw it at her brother. Anteros caught it and ate it without a care. She sighed in frustration. "You know, sometimes I wished you'd just stay as the dog you change into," she said.

Draco was confused for a moment, then remembered. Anteros was an illegal Animagus and his form was a large black wolf with white fur around his right eye. Draco had seen him in this form a couple of times when they had snuck out of the castle to have some fun in the Forbidden Forest.

Anteros didn't mind his sister's words, though. He only smiled and said, "Woof."


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you to everyone who commented and put this story on their alerts. You know what's even cooler than having tons of alerts? Reviews. They're so fun! So, come join the party. Review today. Lol. I'm just pulling (though reviews would be nice *Pout*). Thanks again to everyone who enjoyed this story.**

By the time Anteros had pulled on a simple t-shirt and some shoes, and grabbed a handful of cookies for his breakfast, it was already 1. Draco didn't know how long he'd talked to Granger, but he'd certainly learned things he'd never have known. Now, he didn't even know if he wanted to. Through the Black Family, Draco was related to half of the more famous Gryffindors.

He reached out for a cookie, but paused as he thought of something. If Granger knew about the Black family so much, then she must have had a reason. He'd already guessed that she was related to the family...that meant- Draco jerked and almost fell off the stool. Anteros stared at him strangely, but Draco ignored it. Hermione Granger was related to _him_!

He leaned his forehead on the clean counter. Did he have to be related to that know-it-all witch?Well, it couldn't be all bad, right? At least the smarts ran in the Black Family.

Anteros tapped Draco's shoulder, making the blond boy look up. "You okay?" Anteros asked.

Draco stared at his friend. Well, one consolation he had was that his best friend was part of his family. He smiled and sat up straight. "Yeah. Just a little...shocked. You live very differently here."

Anteros laughed. "Well, it is the Muggle world." He snapped his fingers. "I know. I'll show you around. The town's pretty fun. Here, get your shoes and we'll head off."

Draco shrugged and went back to his room. He pulled on a pair of tennies and picked up his wallet. At Anteros' instructions, he'd traded a few of his coins in for Muggle pounds. He had enough to see him comfortably through the summer. Draco went back downstairs and found Anteros waiting by the door, smiling. He'd never seen him in this way, but it was a nice change from the dispassionate Anteros he'd lived with for the past five years at Hogwarts.

Anteros opened the front door and they left. The neighborhood had some kids playing at the end of the cul-de-sac. They laughed and ran around while their parents chatted pleasantly with one another in the shade. There wasn't a sad face in sight, which surprised Draco. How could everyone be happy? Didn't they know a war was going to erupt soon? No, they wouldn't. These Muggles were simple in their lives.

Draco turned away from them and followed Anteros into town. It was simple and many people greeted Anteros as they walked down the streets. "Does everyone know you?" Draco asked, astonished as the 20th person came up to hug Anteros.

His friend laughed. "Just about. Hermione and I are well known here."

Draco frowned sadly. "Must be nice," he grumbled.

Anteros looked over at him. He then smiled. "You know what? I think I know a place where you'll be cheered up nicely. Keep up." With that, he raced down the street so fast, Draco was stunned for half a second before he finally got enough sense to run after him. He followed down the street, over two blocks, and around the corner of a convenience store. There, at the entrance of a beautiful park, Anteros was leaning against the iron archway, a stupid grin on his face.

Draco walked up, panting heavily. "Why did you have to run?" he asked.

"To get your spoiled arse moving," Anteros said as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

Draco rolled his eyes. "What about a park is going to make me feel better?" he asked. Okay, now he was concerned. This 'Muggle' Anteros was just plain crazy.

Anteros winked and walked through the iron arch. Draco reluctantly followed. "There are dancers in the park now and then. Mostly in the summer. They're really good and, no matter how you feel, they'll make you feel better." Draco stared at Anteros. Yup. Crazy.

They continued farther into the park. There was hardly anyone around on the walks except for a few elderly couples and a few with dogs. It wasn't until they'd almost reached the heart of the park, which held a large fountain with two lovers in a wild dance, or so that was what Anteros had once described it as; when they heard the sound of music. Draco raised an eyebrow at his friend, but Anteros only continued. They turned the corner of the hedge and found a crowd of people surrounding the Lover's Fountain.

Draco shot a questioning look at Anteros, but he was already making his way to the front of the crowd. Draco sighed and followed, not having much of a choice. As he finally managed to push his way to the front of the crowd and stand next to Anteros, he noticed the music was the loudest here. He leaned forward and yelled over the music, "What is this music?"

Anteros was swaying. "It's from the movie 'Tarzan'. Really great music with a beat," he yelled back.

Draco nodded, but he didn't have any idea what a movie was or who 'Tarzan' was. He looked at the dancers and just stared. Their dancing reminded him of a mix between the African dances he'd heard his father describe from a Safari trip, and the dancing he'd seen in a Muggle dance club. They jumped, turned, and swayed to the sound of the drums coming from a rectangle black box. Anteros had called it a boombox once.

Draco felt Anteros nudge his side. He looked up to where his friend was pointing, and his jaw dropped. There, dressed in a flowing dark green skirt that barely reached her skirt and a bright red crop top that showed off her toned abs, was Granger. She span and hit her foot on the ground. She wasn't wearing shoes, but it didn't matter. She clapped her hands above her head and rolled her hips toward a boy around her height.

The boy grabbed her hips momentarily, bumping his hips against her, then turned, going after another girl. Draco could only stare as Granger jumped into the air, turning and landing on one foot. A huge smile was on her face and she bumped her hip with another girl, both of them laughing. The girl nudged Granger and pointed over to them.

Granger looked up and grinned. She ran over and grabbed their wrists, pulling them into the fray of dancers. Anteros went willingly and helped his sister pull Draco forward. With a turn and quick kiss on his sister's cheek, he went and grabbed the girl Granger had been dancing with a moment before, leaving Draco with Granger.

She smiled, one of fun, and turned to Draco. He was stunned. He never thought she'd smile at him like that. But the music was infectious and he soon began to loosen. He smiled back at her and allowed her grab his hands. She moved them with the music and he quickly followed her. He turned and stomped when she did. With each movement, he fell into the music deeper and deeper.

Suddenly, he reached out and grabbed her around the waist. Draco pulled Granger forward and ground against her. She smiled and wrapped an arm around his neck, grounding back. They continued to dance close to each other, moving without thinking. What seemed like minutes, but could have been hours, Draco and Granger were interrupted as Anteros stumbled into them. Granger fell forward and Draco caught her, rightening them quickly.

Granger laughed and the boys laughed along. The dancing had left them lightheaded and feeling lighter than air. Anteros steered them out of the crowd and out of the park. They were still laughing as they walked into an ice cream shop. They ordered some ice cream cones and sat at a small table. Hermione had gotten chocolate, Anteros had gotten Pistachio, and Draco had gotten plain vanilla.

They started talking about their hobbies and anything. The were so engrossed, laughing and joking, that they didn't notice a man taking their picture until there were three bright flashes. They finally looked over and a man in a hoodie, holding a Polaroid camera, put three pictures on the table in front of them. "You looked so happy, I thought you'd like something."

They watched him leave. "Weird," Draco said.

"Yeah," Anteros said, thought it didn't sound like he cared that much.

Hermione looked at the pictures as they developed. There they were; Draco on the left and Anteros on the right with Hermione in the middle. They were smiling and laughing as if they had been friends for years, and not enemies. She subtly lifted one up so the boys wouldn't notice, and stared at Draco's face. This was a rare thing, his face showing a smile that wasn't earned from someone's misfortune. She slipped the picture into her purse.

"Don't you think so, Hermione?" Draco asked.

She stared for a moment. For: one, she'd been thinking and wasn't paying attention, and two, he'd said her name.

"Sorry, what?" she asked.

"I said that that guy was weird," Draco said.

Hermione nodded a bit. Yeah, the guy had been weird, and a bit creepy, but he'd given her a memory of a Draco that seemed human.

Draco smiled a bit. He'd enjoyed the surprise on Granger's face when he'd used her first name. But she'd been in a daze. She might have been trying to be subtle and not attract the fact that she'd been staring at one of the pictures, or that she'd slipped it into her purse; but he'd seen.

He smiled wider and said, "Hermione, your ice cream's melting."

She looked up and gasped as her chocolate fell over her fingers. She quickly licked up the melting treat. Draco laughed and wiped some off her face for her with a napkin. Hermione looked up, smiling her thanks, and he realized how close they were. Just a little further and...

He slowly leaned back, embarrassed. Hermione did the same thing and returned the rest of her frozen treat. She didn't see Draco slip one of the pictures into his pocket. But Anteros did. He'd see everything and smiled to himself, taking another bite of ice cream. He'd called his friend Steward, who was an amateur photographer, and was glad that his plan had worked.

Hermione might have been of joking about dating Draco, but he had thought it was a good idea. The trick was getting the to fall in love, admit their feelings, and all without being found out, or both of them would kill him. Yeah; coming out alive with this little endeavor was going to be hard. But at least there'd be a new couple at Hogwarts by next year.

**AN: I'd like to apologize for the change in perspective, but I wrote it that way on paper, first, and I thought it was just good the way it was. I'll try not to do that too much, but I don't think I can promise anything definite. Thanks for everyone who reviewed. **


	6. Chapter 6

The next few weeks after the dancing in the park, the Granger/Fletcher house was full of laughter and fun, the young occupants quickly become the closest of friends. Hermione didn't like having Malfoy there so much, but she was getting use to his presence. The dancing had left them all in a good mood, as was what the dances that were performed in front of the Lover's Fountain, were suppose to do.

Once they'd gotten home, they'd started acting like real friends. Draco opened up and Anteros seemed glad about the change. Heck, Hermione was enjoying the new Draco. True, she had been shocked that he'd called her 'Hermione' instead of 'Granger' at the ice cream shop. Now, he had completely stopped calling her 'Granger'. He didn't call her 'Mione' or 'Herms'. Just 'Hermione'. And, secretly, she liked it.

Hermione was brushing some of the barbeque sauce over the cooking ribs when the door to the kitchen slammed open and Sophia ran in, a piece of paper in her hands. "Hermione!" she shrieked. Hermione shook her head to get rid of the ringing in her ears. Sophia must have yelled loud enough to be heard throughout the house, for there were footsteps coming down the stairs in a hurry.

Draco was the first to slide into the kitchen. He'd stopped gelling his hair after a while, so it bounced around his face as he scanned the kitchen. Anteros wasn't far behind him. "What' wrong?" he said.

Sophia was bouncing up and down on the kitchen floor, gripping the paper in her hands. "I'm a witch! I'm a witch!" she chanted.

For a moment, no one said a thing. Then, Anteros walked forward and sank onto one knew before the bouncing girl. "Sophia," he said, putting his hand one her shoulders. She stopped bouncing. "What's this about being a witch?"

Sophia shoved the letter forward, making Anteros move back a bit. "This came for me today. It's my birthday and the strangest looking owl, can you believe it, an owl; well, it came and dropped on my lap at breakfast. I was shocked at first, I mean, owls are night creatures, but I read it and it says I'm a witch. Isn't it great!"

Anteros took the letter and read it. He looked up at Hermione, who had come around the counter. She took it and read the first line that seemed like it came from a distant memory.

_Dear Ms. Rockford,_

_ I am pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry._

Hermione felt Draco come up behind her, so she turned it so he could read it over her shoulder. She could feel his surprise and he took the letter. She looked at Sophia, who had excitement showing in her eyes. "I get to go to school with you, now. Isn't that great?" the little girl said. No one said anything for a moment. Sophia's face dropped. "You're not happy," she said, a little disappointed.

Hermione knelt down and said, "No, Sophia. We're just shocked, is all. It's a big thing for you to be accepted into Hogwarts. You'll have loads of fun...we just weren't expecting it, is all." She hugged the little girl. "We're so happy that you got in."

"How did you figure out that we went to Hogwarts and what we were?" Draco asked.

Hermione looked down at Sophia. That was actually a good question. Sophia smiled wide, proud she had stumped the bigger kids. "I saw all the stuff in Hermione's trunk when she was unpacking. I've read enough books to know what a witch has to do magic. Everything just fell into place." She giggled. "Also, Dumbledoor put a note on the bottom of the letter."

Draco looked at the parchment and smirked. "That he did," he said, handing it to hermione. She looked at the bottom.

_PS. Miss Granger, Mr. Fletcher, and Mr. Malfoy will be able to answer any and all of your questions. They will be starting their sixth year at school, soon. I'm sure they will be more than happy to help you. -Dumbledoor, Headmaster._

Anteros read the note and snorted. "Of course he'd bully us into helping," he said.

Hermione chuckled. She turned to Sophia. "What do your parents think?" she asked.

The child frowned. "They weren't thrilled. They don't want me to go. They say I'll be in danger or something." She took Hermione's hand. "But you won't let anything happen to me, will you, Hermione?"

The witch looked down at the girl's eyes and said, "I'll make sure nothing bad happens, Soph. I promise." They exchanged smiled. "Well," Hermione said, standing up. "If your parents don't mind, I've made enough ribs to feed an entire army and have enough for mom and dad to have lunch for a while. Want to join us and we can celebrate?"

Sophia nodded. She looked thoughtful for a moment and said, "I have a better idea. Can I ask something and you'll promise to grant it?"

Hermione paused. This was Sophia's birthday. Hermione sighed and smiled, nodding. "Alright. As your birthday wish. What do you want?"

Sophia's grin turned impish. So much a that Hermione might have confused her with a Brownie if she hadn't known better. The newly found witch pointed to Hermione and then Draco. "You two have to go out on a date. A nice one, you hear. To a restaurant, and you have to enjoy yourselves."

Hermione blinked, stunned into silence. She looked at Draco. He had the same look on his face as he met her eyes. They both looked back at Sophia. "What?" Draco asked.

"I want you two to go on a date and enjoy yourselves," Sophia said, crossing her arms. She was firm in her decision.

Hermione cleared her throat. "Why?" she asked.

Sophia smile again. She reached out and wrapped her arms around Anteros' waist. "Because I want Anteros all to myself. When he gets back to Hogwarts, every girl will be after him. How could they resist? But I want have him all to myself at least once. Especially if I get sorted into Gryffindor and won't be able to talk to him in Slytherin."

Hermione stared. The little girl had thought it through pretty deeply. Hermione turned to Draco. "I know it's weird, but...what do you think?"

He was silent a moment. Finally, he turned to her and said, "Ms Granger, I would be honored if you accompanied me to dinner this evening at the request of Ms. Rockford."

Draco said the offer so gallantly, Hermione momentarily forgot that she was standing in a hot kitchen, sweat forming on her forehead, wearing her white apron, and her hair becoming frizzy from the humidity. No, she could only smile at his words. She nodded. "I'd love to have dinner with you, Draco."


	7. Chapter 7

**Note: This one will be short. Just warning you.**

Hermione stepped out of the shower, wrapping a Quick Dry towel around her hair and looking at her wardrobe. What should she wear? The all time worst thing to figure out for a girl. What outfit looked nice on them? Did it match their coloring? Would their date like it? Did it match their shoes and purse? Did they have the right accessories? And, if any of those questions even had a smidgins of a doubt, they had to start all over.

But, tonight, it seemed magic was on Hermione's side. She opened the doors to he wardrobe, reached in, and pulled out a lovely blue sundress with a sewn in petty coat for an extra layer. Hermione quickly shed her robe and dressed in the gorgeous dress. She turned and looked at herself in the mirror. The dress hung to her curves like a comfortable second skin.

Hermione turned to the wardrobe again and found her small pumps, a nice white color that complimented the dress and her skin. A matching purse hung on the door. With the shoes and purse done, she unwrapped the towel, her curls falling around her shoulders like silk. Hermione added only a pair of simple pearls and admired herself in the mirror.

Hermione Granger couldn't believe her eyes. She was gorgeous. She felt sexy, empowered, and flirtatious in the outfit. She hoped Draco would like it. Hermione should have banished the thought, but she didn't. It was him, after all, that she was having dinner with. On a date. She, one of the Golden Trio, was going on a date with their sworn school enemy, Draco Malfoy. And she could hardly wait.

She slowly walked to the stairs and saw Draco at the bottom of the stairs with Anteros and Sophia. He was dressed in a black sweater, dress pants, shined shoes, and a tailored blazor. His hair had been combed, but not gelled. He was talking with Anteros about something, and she wanted to stare at him a while longer without him noticing.

But Sophia had other plans. She looked up and said, "You look beautiful, Hermione."

That brought up the attentions of both of the males. Anteros' gaze shown with pride. Draco was simply stunned. Hermione felt calm under that gaze, as well as nervous. Like she was in control of he body, but not. She'd never felt this way for any boy. She took a calming breath and started down the stairs, very conscious of Draco watching her.

She stopped next to him and almost blushed when Sophia said, "You two are a cute couple. I wish you'd actually be going out because you want to." The girl shrugged before pushing them out the door. "Have fun," she said before closing the door behind them.

Draco chuckled. "Never have I been shoved out of a door so fast since my parents sent me off to Hogwarts." He offered his arm like a gentleman, and said, "Shall we go?"

Hermione looked at his offered arm and nodded. She put her hand on the crook of his arm and he lead her into town. The walk was refreshing and they chatted about simple things. It didn't take long to come to a restaurant that was family owned, but classy enough for their attire.

Hermione could have died as they were seated by her old first grade teacher. The old lady kept giving her a thumbs up and approving looks at Draco. They were seated quickly, though, and ordered within a few minutes. They continued to talk about what they liked. Books, music, art, travel, anything. They flew through dinner, not noticing that they had been there for a few hours until the manager had to come to their table, telling them they were closing for the night.

They said their apologies for staying so late as they left. Hermione received another thumbs up, but this one was from the manager. She was so grateful that Draco had turned his back, or he would have teased her about it. She looked up and smiled. "Where to, now?"

Draco looked at his watch. "Well, Sophia will probably want to be with Anteros a bit longer. She said to get back until late," he explained.

Hermione chuckled and shook her head. "That girl...she's a regular Yenta."

Draco looked confused. "Yenta? I thought her name was Sophia."

Hermione laughed and looped her hand into his arm again. They started down the sidewalk and Hermione explained Muggle expressions. They walked into the park and Draco stopped them next to the fountain they'd danced under weeks ago. "So there really is no cat that has any tongue?" he asked.

Hermione laughed. "Yes, Draco. It's all a saying." She looked up at the fountain and the two lovers. Water flowed from beneath their feet as they were caught in a passionate embrace.

"You know," Hermione said. "There's a legend that goes with this fountain. There were two lovers that loved to dance. They danced all day, every day, and they danced together. But they came from two different families and their families were rivals. They were forbidden to see each other again, but they loved still snuck out, meeting in the dead of the night. Always at the same place...this fountain. Here, they would dance. Every dance would make them fall further in love and they were happy long afterwards. Finally, unable to take their families' bickering and fighting, they came here and pleaded to the Gods, or who ever, and were turned into stone...forever in dance. The legend says that, any dance done in front of the Lover's Fountain will bring happiness and joy. And, should a couple kiss before it, they will fall in love." She looked over at Draco and smiled. "Of course, it's all a legend. None of it's real."

Draco stared at the fountain. "I don't know," he said, turning to her. "I'm willing to test it."

Hermione chuckled. "You want to see if we fall in love?" she asked. She smiled softly. "What will the other Slytherins say?"

Draco smirked. "They're not here. Just you and me." He came closer. "Why don't we try it?"

Hermione bit her lip. The moon's reflection off the water had turned Draco's regularly sculpted lips, into irresistible silver creations. Wow, that didn't sound like her. But she wasn't really caring at the moment, because Draco had gotten closer and was inches away. Her breath caught, but they slowly drifted closer. Their lips brushed softly. It was brief, but they slowly pulled back.

They stared at each other for a moment. Did they just do that? Hermione gave a weak giggle. "So," she said. "Fall in love with me yet?"

Draco looked down at her and shook his head. "No," he said. A slight smile played on his lips. "But I'm glad I kissed you, Hermione." He offered his arm. "Shall we go, now?"

Hermione took his arm and they headed back to the house.


	8. Chapter 8

Hermione and Draco stopped in front of the door. They didn't want to go in just yet. For a moment, Hermione wanted to just stand there for a while. The evening had been wonderful. The talking, the stroll, the kiss...everything. But, when they went through that door, they'd go back to just being friends. It was an improvement from their previous relationship, but she liked it as it was now.

Draco smiled charmingly at her and she felt herself go a bit weak at the knees. "Traditionally," he said, "This would be the part where I kiss you good night. But, since we both staying here, I guess that'd be a bit redundant."

Hermione chuckled. "A bit," she said. She put her hands behind her and leaned against the door frame. "I'd ask you in-" she started.

"But you're not that kind of girl," he said, smiling down at her.

Hermione licked her lips, becoming a bit nervous. Why was she so nervous? Because he said he knew what type of girl she was? That was ridiculous. But she couldn't stop the question from coming. "How do you know what kind of girl I am?"

Draco smiled and leaned closer to her. "I've lived in the same house with you for weeks, Hermione. I've seen you dancing in the kitchen when you cook. I've watched you when you play wizard chess, how you scrunch up your nose when you realize that you shouldn't have moved a piece the wrong way. I've noticed that you relax when you're reading books, but you always make time for Anteros and that you have a deep loyalty for him. You'd never want to hurt him, or yourself, with something as crass as inviting a boy in after a date." Hermione stared in wonder. He'd noticed all of that? She didn't know if she should be flattered or not, but she almost smiled. "And," Draco said, leaning in. "I saw the looks people were giving you. It's clear that you don't go out with a lot of guys."

Hermione blushed. "I hoped you hadn't seen that," she admitted.

Draco laughed. "It's fine. It's nice to see so many people caring for you." He reached up and stroked her cheek. She looked up and started into his silver orbs. They searched her chocolate brown eyes, as if wanting to see what was hidden under them. "Hermione," he said after a while.

"Yes, Draco?" she asked.

"I'd like to get to know you better," he said. He paused. "And I would really like to kiss you again."

Hermione was stunned for a moment. This was...surreal. She could understand the friendship. They'd been living together for a while and it was logical that they'd be friends. But this...this was unexpected. And she liked it. Maybe it was the moonlight, or maybe the Lover's Fountain had something to do with it. Either way, Hermione found herself leaning forward and pressing her lips to Draco's.

They stayed that way, feeling each other in their arms, until the door opened. Hermione looked up and found Anteros staring at them. They'd quickly sprung apart, but Hermione could see the look on her brother's face. He'd seen them.

"Have a good night?" he asked.

Hermione nodded. She looked at Draco and said, "Thank you for a lovely evening, Draco."

He bowed. "My pleasure, Hermione."

She nodded and walked up the stairs to her own room.

Anteros smiled at Draco. Draco knew his friend had seen him kissing his sister. "So," Anteros said. "How'd it go?"

Draco shrugged as she pulled off his coat. "Fine," he mumbled.

Anteros laughed. "Yeah. I can see that." He changed his voice to a higher pitch. "Oh, I had a wonderful evening on your arm, Sir Draco." He lowered his voice and straightened. "It was nothing, my dear Hermione. I found your presence wonderfully stimulating." He broke into laughter as Draco's face turned red. Anteros clapped his friend's shoulder. "Don't worry. I think you two look cute together." He turned and headed to his room.

In the guest bedroom, Draco sat on his bed in his pajamas. He wouldn't admit it, not after Anteros' mocking still ringing in his ears, but he'd enjoyed himself. Hermione wasn't anything like he'd thought these past 6 years. Yes, she was a bookworm, but she spent more time with Anteros. He suspected that reading extensively covered her loneliness at school. She was smart and enjoyed most of the music he liked. The more he got to know her, the more it made him wonder. Why was she in Gryffindor and not Slytherin?

Draco shook his head and slid under the covers. He quickly fell asleep and dreamed of lovers, dancing, and fountains.

**AN: I'm so sorry this was so short. But I had to add it after reading the last chapter. I thought I'd make Draco be a bit nicer and just got inspiration to write this. Sorry it had to be a short chapter, but I didn't have time to write it onto the end of the last chapter. I hope you liked it.**


	9. Chapter 9

Draco stared at the letter in his hands. He hadn't expected a letter from his father, but, early this morning, an owl had arrived with a letter addressed to him. He reread the words, feeling his happiness drain with each word.

_Son,_

_ I have written to you to remind you of your duty. The Dark Lord is expecting an answer soon. I know you will not disappoint your family. Do your duty and accepted the Dark Mark._

_ Your Father_

Draco almost laughed at how formal his father's writing was. Like he was a lord giving orders and Draco was his humble servant. It was completely different of how he had been treated the last month. At the moment, due to the letter, he was completely depressed.

He stared out the window, sipping his morning cup of coffee, lost in his thoughts. He didn't hear Hermione come down the stairs. Or hear her come up behind him. But he did hear her gasp. He whirled around, but Hermione had grabbed the letter and was reading over it.

She looked up at him and sank into a chair next to him. "Please tell me you aren't going to accept," she said in a hushed whisper.

Draco felt his heart stop for a moment at the look of concern and worry in Hermione's eyes. She was sincerely concerned with him. Not that he might be one more Death Eater on the side of evil. But that he might be hurt. It touched him.

He leaned out and smiled weakly as he cupped her cheek. "Don't worry about it, Hermione," he said. "It's just my father trying to put pressure on me. It's nothing." Even to his own ears, he could hear how weak it was, but Hermione nodded.

"Alright," she said. Then she did something completely unexpected. She leaned forward and kissed his cheek. Draco was stunned. She pulled back, then pointed a finger at his chest. "But if I find one Dark Mark on your body, I will skin you alive. Got that?"

Draco laughed at the ferocity of her words and nodded. "Got it," he said.

"Good," Hermione said.

Draco looked her over as she went over and poured herself a cup of coffee. Today, she wore a pair of comfortable jeans, a pale green blouse, and her hair hung softly around her shoulders. She looked perfect. So normal, but special at the same time. As she returned to the table with a plate of bagels, Draco smiled softly. "You look nice today," he said.

Hermione looked up, down at her clothes, then back up. "Thanks." She raised an eyebrow. "What brought that up?"

Draco shrugged and leaned forward, leaning his elbows on the table. He was inches from her. "Just saying good morning."

They stared at each other for a while until Anteros walked in. "Get a room," he said, smiling a bit. The smile wasn't lost on Draco. Anteros poured some coffee into a mug. While his back was turned, Draco folded the paper and slipped it into his pocket. Hermione didn't say anything, though understanding was on her face.

Anteros leaned against the counter and looked at them. "Hey, Herm, Drake. Sophia bullied me into going with her to Diagon Alley and helping her get her things. I know going back to school is far off, but it's hard to say no to her sometimes. I just wanted to give you a notice so you weren't thrown for a loop."

Hermione looked up and put a shocked look on her face as she looked at her brother. "Oh, Anteros. When did you get here?" she said, pretending that she hadn't seen him.

Anteros rolled his eyes. "Ha, ha, ha, Herms," he said sarcastically. "Want me to pick you up anything while I'm out?"

Hermione shook her head. Draco did, as well. With nothing said, Anteros walked out. The kitchen was silent for a moment before Hermione looked at Draco. "What are you going to do about the mark?" she asked.

The question made Draco pause. It wasn't the question itself, but how she said it. As if it were a loaded wand and she wanted to know where he would point it. But he didn't know what he was pointing at, but she did. Draco sighed. "I don't know. I don't want to, but..."

Hermione set her coffee down and looked up. She reached out and gently captured his head between her hands. She stared into his eyes. "Stay strong," she said. It looked like she wanted to say something else, but she shook her head and pulled away.

Quietly, she stood and left the kitchen. Draco had noticed her crestfallen expression. Hermione definitely knew something. Did she have a part with this Dark Mark business?

Hermione leaned against the wall once she was out of earshot and sight of Draco. Tears formed in her eyes, but she held them back. She'd known that this day would come. She just wished it wasn't Draco. He'd been through too much. He didn't need this.

She opened her eyes and went upstairs. She had to get ready for the next step. Hopefully, she would be able to free Draco soon. God, she wanted to help him. She didn't know why, but she was falling for the Slytherin. She closed the door behind her and got to work.

**AN: So, what do you think? Nice cliffhanger, right? I know the perfect thing that will make it move faster. How about some reviews? Yes? No? I take questions, comments, snide remarks...lol. Well, hope you liked the chapter.**


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: At the request of Fire-And-Ice-Forever-JB-JH, I am going to make this a long chapter. So, enjoy.**

Draco had just set his coffee cup in the kitchen sink when a pain struck him in his stomach. He gasped and doubled over, one hand going to his middle and the other holding onto the counter to support him. It felt like he was being pulled in different directions with hot prongs. He dropped to his knees and he closed his eyes. Dizziness set in and he pressed his palm to his forehead.

"Do get up, Young Mr. Malfoy."

Draco froze at the voice. A voice so cold, it made his blood freeze. He opened his eyes and blinked. He was no longer in the sunny kitchen of Hermione's house. No. He was in his own house, in the ball room. The windows had been covered with magic drapes to block out the sunlight, but Draco could easily see the Dark Lord's smooth head and snake like features.

He was standing in the middle of the room, Death Eaters surrounding the walls. Draco, though, was close enough to see the evil look in Voldemort's eyes. The smile on Voldemort's face was cold. "I have been waiting for an answer, Draco," he said.

Draco didn't say anything. He wouldn't take the mark. He wouldn't do that to the ones that depended on him. He looked up at the Dark Lord and straightened, standing tall. Voldemort raised his brow as if he were curious to the boy's actions. His eyes then lowered and looked at something on Draco's shirt. He looked down and raised his hand to keep it there, but Voldemort raised his wand and summoned it to him. Draco jumped forward to snatch it back, but two Death Eaters reached out and grabbed him, making him immobile.

Voldemort caught the picture easily and studied it. He suddenly paused. He turned the picture to a couple of Death Eaters. "I want these two here. Now," he commanded. They bowed and apparated away. Voldemort then turned to Draco, who had gone extremely pale. He'd slipped the picture into his pocket that morning, not even knowing why he'd done it. But now the Dark Lord had leverage.

Said Lord held out the picture and said, "I will off you one last chance, boy. Take the mark and follow me, or see your precious friends die before your eyes."

Draco stared at the picture. He stared at Hermione and Aneros' smiling faces as they laughed with him. They had trusted him with their secret and with their home. He had to protect them. They had become his closest friends. Draco swallowed hard, his mind made for him. "I'll take the mark," he said.

No sooner had the words left his mouth, that Voldemort seized Draco's arm, pushed the sleeve back, and pressed the tip of his wand into his flesh. There was a burning sensation and Draco's skin began to burn in the pattern of a Dark Mark. He gritted his teeth, forbidding himself to make a sound. He knew that weakness was not an option.

"What the hell do you think you're doing to him?" Hermione yelled. She'd just appeared with the Death Eaters and Anteros. She ran up and knocked the wand away from Draco's arm, leaving the mark half done. The room fell silent as Anteros grabbed the two Death Eaters that had ahold on Draco. He turned and tossed them against the wall before turning to his friend. Draco was relieved to see them.

"You dare to talk that way to the Dark Lord?" Lucius Malfoy said from the side. Draco felt the betrayal of his father cut deep.

But Hermione never took her eyes off Voldemort. "Shove it, Malfoy," she snapped. "Dear Daddy shouldn't mind."

"Daddy?" Draco and Anteros said almost as one. Everyone was shocked, but Voldemort only chuckled.

"I see you have your mother's intelligence."

"Wait," Anteros said. "Voldemort is our father?"

Hermione nodded. "Can't you see yourself in him, Ant? You two look similar." She snorted. "Well, when he was handsome."

"You have your mother's sass, as well," the Dark Lord said. He didn't sound mad. He sounded...amused? He smirked. "What? No hug from my darling twins?"

"After you take the Mark from Draco," Hermione said. Her voice was hard and unmoving. Was this what she had known was going to happen? This was what she was trying to warn Draco about?

Voldemort stared at his children. Didn't the guy ever blink? "I see that you have no respect for the Dark Lord."

Hermione didn't even hesitate. "Remove the mark, or I will do something no one will like," she said with all authority. Draco felt Anteros step closer and place a protective hand on his shoulder. He had complete trust in his sister, but Draco could feel his confusion and some betrayal at being kept in the dark.

Voldemort laughed mirthlessly. "What will you do, dear daughter? Will you take me on?" he taunted. "I will not remove the Mark."

Hermione's jaw ticked and she pulled out her wand. It looked like she was going to send a hex at him, but she only placed the wand on Draco's arm, over the half done symbol. She raised her voice for all to hear. "Draco Lucius Malfoy is now under my command. He will never be a Death Eater, as I have staked my claim on him," she said. "He is mine."

Suddenly, the Dark Mark burned against and shifted up Draco's arm. He grunted as his whole body began to burn where the mark moved. It stopped between his shoulder blades before traveling lower and settling on his back. The burning began to expand and settle along the entire of his lower back.

Draco fell to his knees as the skin cooled. He had the feeling he was now marked. He looked up at Hermione. She had turned from Voldemort and was crouching in front of him. There was hope and concern in her eyes. He stared for a moment and gave a weak smile.

"You have your first follower, hermione. I'm proud," Voldemort said.

Hermione turned and frowned. She reached out and grabbed the picture from her father's fingers. "You ever hurt my friends again, _Daddy_," she said, as if the word were an insult, "And I will personally put my own mark on you." She turned to Anteros, who looked proudly at his sister. "Help Draco up. We need to take a look at that mark. His room."

Anteros helped Draco to his feed and led him from the room. Hermione started to follow but stopped when she heard Lucius mumble something that sounded a lot like "Rotten offspring."

She glared at the older man. He hadn't changed since the last time she'd seen him. Still tall, pointed features, long blond hair, and that obnoxious stare that said he thought himself better than anyone. "You should be proud of Draco, Malfoy," she said. "He's some wizard." She continued past him and walked up the stairs of the Malfoy Manor. She continued down the hallway until she found the open door to Draco's room.

It was decorated in Slytherin colors, no surprise there. Draco laid on his stomach on top of the green comforter. His shirt was pushed up to reveal Hermione's mark. She stared at the red angry skin, but it couldn't hide the design of a large wolf in a running pose. It looked like it was pouncing on prey. She licked her lips and swallowed. She hadn't meant for it to be so large. Draco must be in pain.

Anteros was pressing a wet cloth to the skin and Draco was taking shallow breaths. Hermione walked over after closing the door quietly, and brushed a strand of hair out of Draco's face. He looked up, his silver eyes filled with pain, but he didn't make a sound as his best friend pressed against the sore skin. "So," Draco said. "Voldemort."

Hermione sighed. "We can't choose our families, Draco," she said softly. "I'm sorry about the mark, but I couldn't lift Voldemort's. The next best thing I could do was make it my own. It means only that I can call for you when I need to. Nothing else. I swear." She swallowed the lump in her throat. "I'm so sorry I didn't get here in time."

Draco nodded slightly. "I was going to take the mark to protect you two," he said.

"Now you're stuck with my sister," Anteros said, looking over his sister's shoulder at Draco. He smiled slightly. "Just remember to avoid her the second week of every month. That's when she gets her period."

Hermione turned red. She smacked her brother in the arm. "He doesn't need to know that," she hissed.

Draco chuckled a bit at their play, even with something so severe happening around them. "I'll keep that in mine. But, at the moment, I really want to sleep."

hermione smiled and nodded. "Go ahead. I'll have some food ready fo you when you wake up." She watched him fall asleep and left with Anteros.

"You knew this whole time?" Anteros said once the door was closed.

Hermione looked up into her twin's eyes, feeling completely rotten for the look of betrayal in his eyes. "Yes," she said. "I didn't tell you because I knew you weren't going to take it well."

Anteros groaned. "You can't keep something like this from me, Herms. Do you also know who our mother was, by any chance?"

"Is," she corrected. "She's the Auror Emmeline Vance. She's part of the Order."

"She didn't want us?" Anteros asked, sounding a bit lost. Hermione didn't blame him.

"I don't know," she said.

Anteros ran a hand through his hair, messing it up more. "I should track her down and ask her," he growled.

"She didn't want you to get sucked into the violent world of this war," Voldemort said, appearing from the shadows.

"Obviously she failed," Anteros snapped. Hermione understood her brother's anger. Being abandoned and then found again by the monster who was your father, was not a pleasant experience.

"You know, it as your mother who sent you to those Muggles," Voldemort said. "I wanted you to stay here with me."

"You didn't try to find us," Anteros said.

"I was in no position to be raising children. Anyway, you turned out all right." He smiled. "Anteros in Slytherin. Hermione, your mother's blood must have put you in Gryffindor." He turned to her.

"Thankfully, I don't need your approval of where I was sorted," she said, frowning.

Voldemort's smile turned a shade softer. "You're just like her, you know. Strong willed, stubborn, loyal, prideful, and smart. The sorting hat must have thought you were too adventurous for Slytherin. It seems that's the only difference between the two houses, if you bottom line it." He looked at Hermione, his soft smile gone. "This information will come in handy. Remember it." He turned and said, "I will see you at dinner." He vanished into the shadows, once more.

Hermione and Anteros watched the spot where their father had vanished. Anteros looked at his sister, a confused look on his face. "Was he just trying to play match maker?" he asked.

Hermione snorted. "He's wasting his time."

She turned and started to walk past her brother, but he caught her arm. "Hermione, you and Draco are actually pretty good together. You two have even been bonding. Hell, you guys were making out on the front porch just last night."

She blushed and shook her head. "Why do you think Draco's acting so weird, Anteros? We've hated each other for a while. The only reason he's acting like he is, is because we kissed in front of the Lover's Fountain." Anteros looked shocked for a moment and she hurried to explain. "We were flirting a bit for fun, and the moon was high...it all just happened. He's not in love with me. Not really. He's under the spell. The spell will pass in a while and he'll be back to his old git of a person self." She shook her head. "I'm going to go get something for when he wakes up."

Hermione pulled away and started to walk down the corridor. She didn't hear Anteros' words. "I wouldn't bet on that, sis. Not one bit."

**AN: I hope you liked it. Tell me what you think. I'd much appreciate it. Hey, Fire-And-Ice-Forever-JB-JH, is this long enough for you? Lol. Just for you, did I write this long and touching chapter. Hope everyone liked it.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Thanks for the reviews...again. I like how many comments I got about Hermione and Anteros' father. I was originally playing with the idea of Sirius, but I'm going to put that away for a later date...possible. My updating might be infrequent, as classes have started again. Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

Hermione stalked through the hallways and corridors, not really paying attention to where she was going. Any other time, she would have wondered and exclaimed over the antiques presented around her. But she was in just too terrible of a mood to really care.

She looked around and felt herself become more agitated. "Where is the damn kitchen?" she mumbled angrily under her breath.

A sudden pop had her turning around, her wand drawn. She secretly wished it was a Death Eater she could blast into the next millennium, but it was only a young house elf dressed in a dirty pillow case. The elf yelped at the drawn wand and cowered. "Twinkle is sorry. She not mean to make Mistress Riddle angry."

"Call me that name again, and I'll get really angry," Hermione snapped. As the elf cowered behind an armchair, Hermione sighed and put her wand away. She knelt down and said, "I'm sorry, Twinkle. I didn't mean to snap. Please don't call me 'Riddle', okay?" Twinkle nodded. She still looked scared, so Hermione smiled softly. "Can you show me the way to the kitchen?"

The house elf nodded and walked down the hall. Hermione followed, a bit calmer and watching Twinkle wring her tiny hands together. She looked over her shoulder nervously to make sure Hermione was following her, making the young witch feel even worse at her outburst.

"Twinkle," she said. The elf stopped and turned to face Hermione. "I didn't mean to yell at you. I'm upset and I'm jumpy in this house. Can you forgive me?"

Twinkle stared at Hermione as if she'd just presented her with a human dress. Slowly, the elf nodded. "Yes, Mistress. Twinkle forgives Mistress."

Hermione smiled. "Thank you," she said. "Now, how about the kitchen?"

Twinkle nodded and led her down the corridor. The kitchen was the size of a gourmet restaurant and equipped accordingly. She expected nothing less than the best for the Malfoy family, even if they didn't step foot into the kitchen on a regular basis. As Hermione stepped into the kitchen, the house elves stopped working and stared at her.

"Kitchen, Mistress," Twinkle announced.

Hermione nodded, a bit in awe of the entire set up. She looked down at the elf. "Would it be alright if I made something?"

"House elves can make breakfast for Mistress Ri-Granger," Twinkle said, flinching a bit after her slip up.

Hermione shook her head. "That's very nice, Twinkle. But it's not my breakfast I'm making. It's for Draco."

Draco opened his eyes as he heard someone enter his room, and saw Twinkle set a tray of food on the bedside table. She turned and smiled a bit at seeing him conscious. "Oh, Master is awake," she said joyfully. "Mistress Granger sent Twinkle with tray up for Master. Mistress said Master should eat and rest."

Draco slowly sat up, a bit sore still from the mark. He groaned slightly and slipped his hand to the small of his back. The skin felt hot to his touch. He looked at the house elf and said, "Twinkle, get me a mirror so I can see my back, will you"

The house elf nodded and popped away, returning a moment later with two large mirrors. She placed on in front of Draco and stood behind him with the other. Twinkle angled the mirror in her hands so Draco could see the reflection in the mirror before him. The mark was something like a tattoo. It showed a fierce wolf, teeth bared and its body in the motion of a hunter's pounce. It looked so detailed, as if it were able to jump off his skin in a second. After a little more studying, Draco voiced a thought that ran though his head. "It looks like Anteros...but he has white over his right eye, not his left."

Twinkle jumped down off the bed and collected the mirrors. "Mistress said for Master to finish food. Twinkle will put mirrors away." She popped out of the room.

Draco looked at the tray and smiled at the arrangement. There was a pile of fluffy pancakes, covered with a swirl of whipped cream, decorated with strawberries, and sprinkled with some powdered sugar; a mug of fresh black coffee, a small bowl of assorted diced fruit, a glass of what looked like misty water, and a note with his name written in the center.

He picked up the note and smiled at the feminine hand writing.

Draco,

I think you will like breakfast. The white drink is a potion to help you sleep. You need your rest. Twinkle has been most helpful and I have asked her to make sure you finish everything on the tray. I'll come by later to see how you're doing.

-Hermione

Draco looked at the food and quickly scarfed it down. He'd been famished and weak from the mark, but felt immensely better after finishing the splendid breakfast. But he wasn't too sure about the potion. He'd rested long enough, in his opinion. He wanted to see what Hermione was doing. She'd said that Twinkle was to make sure that he'd finished everything.

He looked around and walked to the bathroom, potion in hand. He walked over to the sink, and poured it down the drain, rinsing the glass while he was there. Draco walked back to the tray and set the glass on it, calling out for Twinkle. She appeared with a soft pop. "I'm done with breakfast, Twinkle." The House elf nodded and took the tray. "Oh, where is Hermione, anyway?" he asked.

Twinkle smiled. "Mistress is in the kitchen. Mistress said that she would make cookies for house elves." She popped out of the room after that, leaving Draco to his thoughts.

What was with Hermione and making cookies for everyone? Well, she did seem calmer when in the kitchen. Maybe there was something to that. Draco got up and walked out of her room and down the drear corridors of his once called home. Now, it was just a house where he'd been raised. Everything that had seemed wonderfully exciting in his childhood, now had changed to dark and depressing. Except, as he stepped in to the room, the kitchen.

There, he was completely shocked at what he saw. The entire center island surface, which was the equivalent of three stove sizes, was covered in cookies. And it looked like there were more in the oven. The house elves were munching on some already, and Twinkle put a tray of mugs on the table for each of them.

"What's with all the cookies," he said to get everyone's attention.

It worked. The elves looked up a bit guiltily and a fizzy brown haired head popped up from behind a counter near the ovens. Hermione had flour on one cheek and her hair wad been pulled back into a ponytail to maintain the fizz, but was failing miserably.

"Draco," she chided, standing up to show a green and black apron tied around her waist. "You're suppose to be resting."

He shrugged. "Twinkle said something about cookies. Thought I'd grab one while I was up."

Hermione frowned. "You're not suppose to be up. That's the point of the potion."

"Didn't drink it," he said calmly, snatching a sweet.

Hermione looked confused. "Twinkle," she said, looking at the elf. "Didn't you saw that the tray was clean?"

"Yes, Mistress," Twinkle said.

Hermione looked back at Draco. He smiled and said, "I poured it down the sink. I've slept enough."

"You've only been resting for an hour or so. Hardly enough time to feel better after what you've been through," Hermione said, turning around with an oven mitt and bending over to lift another cookie tray from the lower oven.

Her shirt rode up and Draco almost dropped his half eaten cookie. "What's that on your back?" he asked.

Hermione straightened and turned around so fast that it was impossible not to notice her guilty expression. "What is what?" she asked, trying to sound innocent. It didn't work.

"On your back." Draco smirked a bit. "Does the Gryffindor Princess have a tat?"

Hermione blushed and pulled on the back of her shirt. "No," she said, turning redder.

Draco chuckled. "Oh, that's an awful lie, Hermione. Come on. What is it? A heart? A bird?"

Hermione blushed and said, "It's nothing."

Draco stared into her eyes and saw that she wasn't going to give up what the tattoo was. "Okay," he said, stepping back a bit in a sign of defeat. Hermione breathed a bit easier. "But your cookies are burning."

Hermione paled and turned around. The cookies were turning black under the heat. She grabbed the door and opened it, not knowing her skirt had ridden up again. Draco stared at the tattoo until it was once again covered with the shirt as Hermione saved the cookies. She turned and set the tray on the stove top.

"It's a wolf," Draco said. "And it looks exactly like my mark.

Hermione blushed and said, "I got it in America when I was 13. Didn't tell my parents about it and was sore for a week."

"Was it because your brother's Animagus form is a wolf?" Draco asked.

Hermione paused. A bit too long to be coming up with an answer. It was more of a delayed thought pause. As if she were going to keep something from him. He braced himself for a lie or some sort of excuse that would be lame. But he was surprised when she leaned forward and whispered those 5 words. "It's not his. It's mine."

**AN: I hope you like the plot twists. I got a million of them. Well, review and tell me what you think of the story. Thanks for reading this far. You guys are great.**


	12. Chapter 12

"What the-" Draco said. "You're a-"

Hermione clamped a hand over his mouth. "Shut it, Draco," she hissed softly so only he heard her. "I can't have that spreading around. Do you know how much trouble I'd be in if people found out?"

Draco nodded and she lowered her hand. "You know, for Gryffindor's Golden Princess, you sure do have a lot of things you want to keep quiet."

Hermione shrugged, returning to her burnt cookies. "I have my reasons," she mumbled.

Draco saw the sadness in her eyes. She'd had to lie to her friends about half of her life. They didn't know that her brother was Anteros Fletcher, or that he was an Animagus. They didn't know that Hermione was an Animagus, as well. They didn't know that their father was Lord Voldemort. Hell, they didn't know half of the girl; what made her strong and determined to be the best at what she was good at.

He leaned in closer and brushed her ear with his lips. He felt her shiver a bit and smiled. "That tattoo is one of the sexiest things I've ever seen," he whispered.

Hermione turned to look at him, her mouth falling open at his words.

He couldn't help it. Draco saw her lips, moist from where she'd licked them in her nervousness, and captured them with his own. She was stunned for a moment. If she hadn't had set the tray of cookies on the stove, she would have dropped them. But, after a few seconds, her eyes drifted shut and she leaned into the kiss.

Draco turned her and pulled her against his body. Hermione's back pressed against the counter of the cooking island. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer and deeper into the kiss. She tasted like vanilla and flour, a heady combination that made Draco attack her mouth more fiercely. He felt her shudder under his touch as his hands traveled from her back and down to her tattoo. His nimble fingers ran over the area, causing her to shiver and arch into him.

He smiled around the kiss. He'd found a soft spot. Draco stroked it again and he swore Hermione almost moaned. But they were interrupted when Twinkle cleared her throat. "Master and Mistress..." she said hesitantly, not sure if she should interrupt them.

Hermione's eyes opened and there was a thin film mist covering them. She blinked a couple of times and then pulled back, blushing deeply. She'd forgotten that the house elves were still in the room. Well, so had Draco. But he wasn't blushing. He was trying to hide his laughter and smile. Did Hermione even know how she looked when she blushed? And the flour all over her face wasn't helping him keep his laughter down.

He cleared his throat. "Twinkle," he said. "I would most appreciate it if you didn't tell my father about what happened here. Or anyone, for that matter. That goes for the rest of you house elves."

The creatures nodded and went back to their cookies and drinks. It was clear, by the way they huddled, that they were just waiting for the two to leave so they could gossip. But they wo

Draco turned to Hermione. She picked up a plate of cookies and said, "I better find Anteros and give these to him. He'll get sulky if I don't." She turned and left the kitchen.

Draco followed her and gently caught her elbow. "Are you upset at what happened?" he asked in a lowered voice. He knew that walls had ears. Especially in his home.

Hermione looked up and blushed again. "I'm...No. I'm not. Well, a little," she said in the same hushed tone. "Draco, we've hated each other for years, we're in two different houses. And, in the course of half a summer, we've laughed, become friends, been on a date, and we've kissed. Twice. It's a bit...weird."

He smiled. "Well, yeah. If it wasn't weird, I'd have to check your sanity."

The attempted joke didn't cheer her up, as he had hoped. Hermione sighed. "Draco, there's something you should know. About the...first kiss," she said.

"Oh, I think Draco's kissed enough girls to know about that sort of thing, Herms," Anteros said, turning the corner. Hermione looked up at her twin and then away. Anteros stopped close to them. "I smelled your cookies. Those for me?"

She handed him the plate. "All for you," she said, smiling. "You get sulky and in a mood when you don't get any when I make them."

Anteros laughed. "True, though I don't like that word." He bit into one. "Good. So, why are we talking about first kisses?"

Draco smiled and said, "Hermione and I were just thinking of things we should go over with Sophia when she goes off to Hogwarts. You know, thinking of something besides..." he waved his hand vaguely.

Anteros nodded. "Yeah. I had to leave her back at the house."

"The Death Eaters came for you when you were out with Sophia at Diagon Alley, right?" Draco asked.

Hermione looked worried. "Was she hurt?"

Anteros raised a hand to calm his sister. "She's fine. I was able to send her home before they got me. There was a wizard demonstrating floo powder to a few muggle born children. I grabbed a handful of powder, tossed it and Sophia into the fireplace, and yelled her name. She got home safely. Unfortunately, I might have caused a large scene."

Hermione frowned. "If that happened, then it would be all over the _Prophet. _Harry and Ron have seen it and are probably worried."

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Why would they be worried if a Slytherin was taken by Death Eaters?" he asked.

Hermione looked up and said, "They know that Anteros is my twin. They also know we're very close."

Draco stared. "They knew all this time?" he asked, a little angry. She could tell Potty and Weasel about her secret twin, and Draco had to find out only this summer? Was this just one more thing Potter beat him at?

Anteros speared Draco with a warning glance, as if knowing his thoughts. "We originally were going to keep it secret. But Harry and Ron found out when Hermione and I met late at night in our second year. Of course, they thought we were dating and almost called us out on it publicly. But they're not the quietest in the world and we caught them as they tried to get away. We had to tell them or the whole school would have known."

Draco stared at his friend. "We've been in the same house and dorm for the past 6 years. All you ever said about your sister was that she was wonderful and smart. You couldn't even tell me who she was?"

Hermione stepped in. "Would you have treated me differently?" she asked. He looked down at her and realized that, yes, he would. He nodded. "If you had known, you would have treated me differently, and that would have put others on our trail." Hermione placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it a bit. "They would have asked the same questions you asked the first time and we couldn't have held them off for long. They would have known about everything...even who our parents are. Half of the Slytherins would idolize Anteros for the wrong reasons, just as the other half would hate him. The Gryffindors would turn their back on me, and I would be followed with a sign over my head that spelled out 'Lord Voldemort's Daughter'."

"You're not overreacting, are you?" Draco asked, hoping she was joking. But her face was completely serious. "I guess not."

"I've seen what's to happen. Divination can be very useful," Anteros said. He was as grave and grim as his sister.

"I thought you hated Divination," Draco said.

Anteros snorted and rolled his eyes. "Not the crap that Trelawny says. Her antennas are seriously crossed and knotted."

Draco didn't understand the phrase, but nodded in understanding. "Well," he said, changing the subject. "Does anyone want a tour of the mansion? We're not...needed...until dinner."

Hermione looked up at Anteros and they both nodded. "That would be nice," she said.

Draco offered his arm and Hermione took it. The three started off and began the tour of Lord Volemort's Lair, formally known as Malfoy Manor.


	13. Chapter 13

**AN: A funny note. I accidentally loaded the last chapter onto one of my other stories. Whoops. Thankfully, two early readers told me that it was wrong. Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter...and that I don't upload it to the wrong story. Lol.**

Anteros was making faces at one of the Malfoy ancestors. And the painting was making them right back at him. Hermione giggled. "Anteros," she called from farther down the hall. "Leave the picture alone."

Draco smiled and wrapped an arm around her waist. She didn't mind it there and didn't bother to push it off. "Don't worry," he said. "My great-great-grandfather is probably enjoying himself. I use to do that, but when I left for school," Draco shrugged, "I guess he just got bored."

Hermione smiled and shook her head as Anteros stuck his fingers in his mouth and pulled out his cheeks as he crossed his eyes. "I swear," she said, following Draco farther down the corridor. "At home, Anteros is the weirdest and most immature person to ever live."

Draco shrugged. "I guess he just needs to wind down after a tough year," he said.

Hermione shrugged. "I suppose so." They continued down the corridor for a while until they were out of sight from Anteros. Hermione reached out and placed a soft hand on Draco's elbow. "Draco, there's something I need to tell you."

He turned and she was caught by those gorgeous eyes. She almost lost her nerve right then and there, but licked her lips, pulling up her nerve. "How do you feel about me?" She heard a voice in her head say, _Chicken._

Draco quirked and eyebrow. It looked like he had to actually think about it. He looked down at he and said, "Why are you asking?"

Hermione almost smirked. He'd chickened out, too. "If you have any...hard feelings for me, Draco-" she started, but Draco chuckled.

"'Hard' is a word to describe something about how I feel for you," he said, backing her up against a wall and resting his hands on either side of her head. He leaned forward until his body pressed against her own.

She blushed at the bulge that was pressing into her stomach. "Draco-" she tried again, but he only leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. It wasn't a demanding kiss, though his intent was clear. He wanted to ravish her, but didn't want to scare her off after a repeat of what had happened in the kitchen.

Hermione didn't move as Draco pulled back. Her eyes were still closed. Her thoughts were yelling at her to tell him about the spell of the Lover's Fountain. But, with the taste of him still on her lips, it was hard for her to get up the courage.

"Draco," she tried. "Do you remember our first kiss? In front of the Lover's Foutain?"

He nodded. "I remember," he said in a way that had her melting inside. The glint in his eyes didn't help, either.

She shook her head, clearing out her fogging thoughts. "Look," she started again. "I'm trying to say that...you aren't really feeling...what you're feeling towards me."

Draco chuckled. "Could you say that in a way that doesn't sound like a proverb?" he asked, leaning closer again.

Hermione placed her hands on his shoulders and pushed him back a bit. "What I'm saying, Draco...is that what you're feeling for me isn't real. All your emotions toward me over the past few days, aren't real. They're fake." She tried to make her voice sound firm, but it was shaking a bit.

Draco, though, was confused. "What do you mean?" he asked. "Does this," he pressed against her again, "Feel fake to you?"

Hermione turned red again. "No, it doesn't" she said, having a hard time meeting his eyes. "But the reason behind that isn't what you're really feeling. When we kissed in front of the Lover's Fountain, the spell activated."

"What spell?" Draco asked. He was becoming more confused with each explanation.

"The spell that, when a couple kisses under the fountain, those two fall in love. It's a real spell, Draco. The story is real and the spell is real." She frowned and continued. "Every feeling you're feeling now, will fade away in a week or so." She watched for Draco's reaction

He chuckled, causing her to start. She hadn't expected that kind of reaction. He leaned in a bit more until his lips were brushing her ear. "You're a funny witch," he said softly.

Hermione opened her mouth to explain again, but Anteros chose that time to come around the corner. He paused momentarily at the awkwardness of the scene. "Didn't mean to interrupt," he said, smiling to himself.

Hermione ducked under Draco's arms and said, "Nothing was going on."

Anteros raised a disbelieving eye and said, "Uh-huh. Sure."

She blushed. "Is there something you needed?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said. "We've been touring the grounds and the house for hours. Dinner's soon. Twinkle just told me."

Hermione repressed the urge to groan. "That means we have to have dinner with...Him." She refused to call him Father.

Anteros looked just as thrilled. "We could skip," he offered.

Draco shook his head. "No good," he said. "A few younger Death Eaters tried that."

By the look on his face, the end result hadn't been pretty.

Hermione sighed. "I'll just ignore him," she mumbled to herself.

She heard Draco chuckled and she shot him a glare. He cleared his throat. "Sorry," he said, though it was clear that he wasn't. Hermione rolled her eyes. He smiled and said, "I'll show you the way."

They followed him down to the bottom floor and into a large dinning room. There was a long table that spanned the room down the middle and the Death Eaters were already seated. They looked up and watched as the three came in. Voldemort, of course, sat at the front.

"I'm glad to see you have joined us," he said with a creepy smile.

Hermione didn't return it. She just took one of the last seats open, which was, unfortunately, right next to Voldemort. She sat down and looked at her brother, who had taken the seat opposite her. Draco took the seat next to her. That was the good side of the seating arrangement. On the other hand, her other seating partner was the Dark Lord.

"How was your tour of the Mansion?" Voldemort asked.

Hermione wanted to snort at his poor attempt at playing 'Dad'. But she shrugged. "Like any other tour of a mansion," she replied.

You could practically taste the tension in the room as the Death Eaters watched the interaction of the newly reacquainted family. They were use to their Lord dealing with mudbloods and battling blood traitors. They were not use to seeing him in a family environment.

The show slightly ended when the house elves came in with the dinner. Each carried two and floated about 10 trays behind them, setting them in front of the Death Eaters. No one spoke as the covers were magically lifted and the food revealed. It smelled wonderful and Hermione wanted to shovel it into her mouth, but slowly picked up her fork and used every part of the etiquette her parents had taught her and her brother.

Silence reined through out the dinning room until a house elf came in with a rolled up newspaper. Everyone watched it come closer to the table, expecting it to be something from the other Death Eaters for their Lord. It surprised everyone when the house elf walked up to Hermione.

She looked down at the creature as it extended the newspaper. She took it and untied the sting holding it. An owl must have just delivered it. Hermione smoothed the paper out and realized it was the _Daily Prophet. _She looked at the headline and couldn't hold in her reaction. She gasped and her hand darted to her mouth.

"What?" Anteros asked. He reached over the table and took the newspaper. He, too, scanned the headlines. His jaw ticked. He looked up and noticed Draco's curious glance. Anteros looked at the head line and read in a grim voice. "Auror Killed At Muggle Prime Minister's House. Late last night, outside the Muggle Prime Minister, a group of Death Eaters attacked the Aurors assigned to protect the building and the residents inside. Though the Death Eaters were defeated, the Auror Emmeline Vance was struck down with the Avada Kadava curse." Anteros didn't continue. He crumpled the newspaper and tossed it away angrily.

Hermione stood up, pushing the chair away from the table. No one stopped her or Anteros as they left the room. Draco followed, feeling a pull inside him to join the twins where ever they went. It could have been the Mark, or it could have been his connection to the two, but he followed them out of the room, down the hall, and out to the yard.

The twins moved in a an eerie sort of way. They moved as one; each of there movements perfect with the other one. Draco followed behind and watched as they stopped. They looked at the full moon that had risen in the dark sky, then at each other. A secret message had been passed between them and they nodded.

Draco watched in fascination as they both began to transform. They hunched over, their skin and clothes becoming fur, their hands becoming paws, and their faces contorting into different shapes. It was fascinating and awkward at the same time. Soon, though, two black wolves stood where Anteros and hermione had once stood.

The taller one was Anteros, the smaller obviously being Hermione. They turned to him and Draco's breath hitched. It was their eyes staring back at him, but,where Anteros had a patch of white fur around his right eye, Hermione had white over her left eye. He'd now understood. The Mark on his back, and the tattoo on her own back...was her, not Anteros.

Anteros shot off over the open area that surrounded the Malfoy Mannor. Hermione watched him run before turning her head back toward Draco. She jerked her muzzle at where Anteros had run and started after him in a slower run. Draco finally understood that she wanted him to run with her.

He took a deep breath and ran after her. It took a minute or so, but he finally met her pace, running next to her. He admired her muscles working as she tore across the land. Though he wasn't in animal form, the feeling of being free was contagious. As if Hermione was projecting it toward him. He ran, not feeling his body becoming sore as they ran deeper into the forest.

They soon caught up with Anteros and they ran as a group for a few more miles before stopping. They clearing they stopped in was spacious and lit by the full moon shining through the open canopy. Anteros sat back on his haunches and panted, his tongue rolling out. Hermione jumped onto a bolder and raised her head. She threw her head back and let out a pitiful howl. Anteros joined in. It was no long pitiful, though. It as sad, remorseful...pain.

Draco wished he could join in, but knew that the grieving was for the two siblings. He watched his two friends howl at the moon, their fun shining bright as the moon bounced off the fur. Draco sank onto the pine needles that bunched around the floor of the clearing. Hermione finally jumped down off the boulder and padded over to him.

He could see the hurt in her eyes. She laid down and rested her head in his lap. He cautiously reached out and rested his hand on her head. Anteros laid down on his other side. Though he didn't rest his head in Draco's lap like his sister, he did allow his friend to pat his head. It was as close to consolation Draco could give them in their current forms.

It didn't take long, though, for all of them to fall asleep under the stars. In the distance, if you could hear close enough, there was the rising sound of a pack wolves. Answering the call of their mournful kin.

**What do you think? Mournful enough? I sometimes think I go overboard or I don't put enough in. Tell me what you think, please. Thank you.**


	14. Chapter 14

Her nose twitched and she sneezed. The force of it shot her head up and she shook it, her fur waving around her. Hermione laid her head back on Draco's lap. The clearing should appear black and white for her, being in wolf form, but she hadn't shifted her eyes to wolf form before her run. The sun shone through the leaves and bounced off the pine needles. Morning birds were chirping happily and the sky looked clear except for a few harmless clouds.

Right here, right now...the world was harmless. It was peaceful. It didn't feel as if their mother had died. Hermione felt nothing. Nothing but peace and calm. If only she could stay that way...but she couldn't.

Soon, once she left this place, she would get angry. She'd rant and rail with Anteros about the loss of the only person who could give them some answers. Lord knows they couldn't take Voldemort's word for anything. After anger, there would be sulking, and then acceptance. It was just how it went. But they'd get through it.

Hermione felt a hand stroking her head. She tilted it to the side and watched Draco. His eyes were closed, but she knew he was awake. Besides his moving hand, his breathing was relaxed and his heart beat was stronger. Draco was enjoying the morning with her.

He opened his eyes and looked down at her. Not a word was said. He only smiled and rubbed his thumb against her hear. Hermione leaned into the touch and wagged her tail.

She stood up and changed back into her human form. She shook her hair out of her face, then laid back down on the ground, resting her head on Draco's lap. He didn't say anything against it. He just continued to stroke her hair. "You holding up okay?" he asked softly.

Hermione shrugged, bringing her hands up to cushion her cheek against his thigh. "I'm fine. Now, at least. I'm sure I'll get angry soon."

Draco squeezed her shoulder so she looked up at him. He had sincerity in his voice. "I'm always here if you need me," he said.

She smiled. "Thank you, Draco," she said, then rolled back to her previous position. Hermione stayed like that for a few moments, just feeling Draco stroke her hair. "You know," she said. "If someone had told me that I would one day be in a clearing enjoying a beautiful sunrise with the Prince of Slytherin...I would have thought they'd escaped from a ward."

Draco chuckled. "I'd probably hex them," he said.

Hermione rolled onto her back and grabbed his hand. She stared up at him for a moment. "Do you think things will be different when we go back to Hogwarts?" she asked.

He stared. "Probably," he said. "Everyone's been through a lot this summer. I know I'm not going to be able to keep my hands off you." He wagged his eyebrows at her and she laughed.

She sighed and looked at the sky. She knew that it was only the spell talking. Not him. Everything would be back to normal in a few days.

The bushes rattled a bit. Hermione turned her head toward the sound, not a bit worried about what might be coming toward them. It was only Anteros. He walked into the clearing in human form. He smiled as she spotted them and sat down cross legged, across from Draco.

"You okay?" Hermione asked, noticing her brother's troubled look. She knew how much it meant to Anteros to know about the past. He, too, knew that Emmeline was probably the last person they could have asked.

Anteros shrugged. He looked sad, despite his smile. "I'll never get my answers questioned, so I'm a little pissed," he said. "Other than that, I guess I'm doing fine."

Hermione reached out and squeezed his knee. "I know you're disappointed," she said. "And I'll try to help as much as I can, Ant."

He nodded. "I just want answers, you know?" he said. "Like, why did she give us up? Didn't she want us...and what was she thinking? Volemort? Really? Was she drunk or something and pro life?"

Hermione wanted to laugh, but she swallowed it. He had a good point. Why did Emmeline and Voldemort get together? Hermione had seen Emmeline once. She was pretty enough to be with any man. But why the Dark Lord when she was an Auror? That was a question she would look into.

She looked up at the sky. "What time do you think it is?" she asked to no one in particular.

Draco looked up. "Early," he said.

Anteros snorted. "That was helpful," Hermione said.

"You asked."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Don't make me regret saving your life," she mumbled.

Draco leaned down so he was close to her lips. "Never," he said and kissed her. She was too tired to fight him. She responded to the kiss, but Draco could feel her tiredness. He pulled back, smiled a bit, then leaned back against the tree behind him. "You know, it would be just too nice if we stayed here for the day," he said.

Anteros looked up from the pine needles he'd been playing with. "Why don't we? Just stay here? Voldemort doesn't care. He has tried to find us yet. I don't think he will. Let's just stay here?"

Hermione smiled and closed her eyes. "I like the idea," she muttered sleepily. "Draco, I'm using you as a pillow." She yawned and fell asleep.

"You like my sister," Anteros said as soon as he was sure his sister was asleep.

Draco looked up at his friend. "Yes," he said. "I do."

"Then you better not hurt her," Anteros said, leaning forward menacingly. "She's all the family I have and, if you hurt her in any way, I will make you regret it ten times over."

Draco met his gaze with his steady one. "I would never hurt Hermione. Not now. Not after everything that's happened." He looked down at her sleeping face. "I'm falling for her."

Anteros was still for a moment. Then, he nodded. "I'm holding you to that, Draco Malfoy; and I will not hesitate to take you down if you hurt her."

Draco looked at Anteros again. The voice and actions were his wolf side taking dominance over. But it was understandable. Hermione was special to both of them. And Draco didn't fault Anteros for his actions one bit. He would do the same if it were someone else interested in Hermione.

Draco stared up at the sky. "I think I'm going to follow Hermione's example and sleep," he mused out load before closing his eyes. He, too, was asleep without another word.

Anteros looked at the two. They'd all been uncomfortable last night. They needed the sleep. He, on the other hand, had some questions to ask the Dark Lord. It was time he had a 'father' to son chat about Anteros' mother.

**Dun, dun, duh! What do you think? **


	15. Chapter 15

Anteros returned to the house and walked through the halls as if he owned them. His head was held high and he walked with arrogance. Despite his mussed hair and his clothes looking like he'd just rolled out from under a log, he knew he cut a dashing figure. He'd looked worst and had scored 7 dates on his way to breakfast at Hogwarts. It was part of his Slytherin charm...and he'd need it to get through his chat with his 'father'.

He stopped at the door Draco had said was Voldemort's study. He raised a hand and knocked on the wood as if he didn't care if anyone answered. "Come," the Dark Lord's voice said.

Anteros pushed the door open and leaned against the doorframe. Voldemort sat in a great wing backed leather chair behind an oak desk. He didn't have any emotion on his face except curiosity at seeing his son standing in the doorway. "What do you want?" he asked.

Anteros snorted. "You don't seem too overly upset that my mother's dead," he said. He watched for anything to cross the Dark Lord's face.

Voldemort raised an eyebrow. "Should I be?" he asked in a neutral voice. He didn't seem at all upset about anything.

Anteros raised on shoulder in a bored shrug. "Figured you'd feel a little bit of something. After all, you did shag her." He turned his eyes toward the Dark Lord, looking as bored as possible. Still no reaction. Better try a different tactic. "What? Wasn't she good enough to call after the first night? One shag and you got disgusted with her when you found out she had twins?" Anteros snorted in disgust. "I've heard of fathers that abandon the girls they get pregnant. I always thought they were scum." He smirked. "Looks like I was spot on."

He was about to turn away, too much emotion raging in him to think clearly after his speech, but he felt himself being pulled into the room and the door being slammed and locked magically. Anteros landed in a chair that faced the desk and Voldemort. Now, there was emotion. His face had been transformed into anger.

"Don't you dare talk about Emmeline that way," he practically yelled. "I loved her and I loved that she had you and your sister. But she didn't want you two to be in the war, so she sent you to muggles. I was angry at her and it didn't help that she was a young, ambitious Auror ordered to fight against me." He sank back into his leather chair. "I may not have shown it, Anteros, but I grieved at the news of her death. I still do."

Anteros was stunned but carefully kept it off his face. Voldemort had loved an Auror. It seemed the most impossible thing in the world. But there was truth in the Dark Lord's voice. Anteros rested his leg on his knee, leaning back in the chair. "Did she love you?" he asked.

Voldemort chuckled, a smile playing on his lips. "Emmeline was someone that, if she didn't like you, you knew. She loved me; though we never made our relationship public for obvious reasons." His slight smile turned into a full one. "Hermione is a lot like her. She gives the word 'pureblood' an entirely new meaning." Anteros smiled at that visual. "Which means Young Mr. Malfoy better be on his toes if he wishes to obtain her affections."

Anteros chuckled, forgetting about the cool demeanor he was suppose to be portraying. The idea that he and Voldemort had the same idea about Draco and Hermione was just too amusing not to laugh. "I think she's weakening," Anteros said. He'd hate to admit it, but talking with this man was...fun.

Voldemort nodded. "I noticed that, too. But, if she's anything like her mother, she'll logic out that a Gryffindor and a Slytherin could never work. Let us hope that Mr. Malfoy is clever enough to work around that."

Anteros leaned back in his chair. "Why are you so interested in my sister's love life?" he asked. "From everything I've ever heard about you, 'matchmaker' never appeared."  
Voldemort laughed. "And it wouldn't. But I see the way those two look at each other. His gaze is more open than hers. But there's the same look in them, wether they admit it or not. They like each other."

"Yeah, but Hermione claims that his affections are the result of a kiss in front of the Lover's Fountain," Anteros said.

Voldemort raised an eyebrow. "I don't quiet follow," he said. Anteros then explained his plan he'd had about Sophia making Draco and Hermione going on a date and, later on, he'd learned of their kiss in front of the fountain. He told of how he'd caught them kissing on the front step of their house, as well.

"So," Voldemort said slowly. "Draco likes Hermione, but she believes his feelings aren't real because of a legend and the spell that was placed on the fountain?"

"That about sums it up," Anteros said. With each passing minute, he was beginning to like this man. He wouldn't call him dad or father, but he wouldn't mind calling a friend...very loosely, of course.

Voldemort chuckled. "Gryffindors," he mused. "They're such a drastic contradiction to Slytherins...but we're the same."

"How so?" Anteros asked.

"Well, both are thrifty and resourceful," the Dark Lord said. "They're both stubborn and get things done...the only difference, though, is that Gryffindors are more adventurous and more willing to jump into a fight without thinking about the consequences."

Anteros smirked. "Hermione's a little like that, but too smart to just jump in," he said. "Draco, on the other hand...I get the feeling that he's not going to give up on her. Spell or no. And don't ask me how I know. It's just a gut feeling."

Voldemort smirked. "I can understand that." He looked at the clock on the wall. "Well, I guess it'll be time for lunch soon." He turned back to his son. "I feel like having it in here. Care to join me?"

Anteros thought for a moment. He should get back to the clearing and make sure Draco and Hermione were alright. He'd left without telling them, but they'd needed their rest. Besides, the more time they spent together, the more they would fall for each other. Anteros smirked to himself. "Sure. I could go for lunch," he said.

Voldemort chuckled and snapped his fingers for an elf. When one appeared, he said, "My son and I will have lunch here." The elf bowed and popped out of the room, leaving Anteros a little stunned at Voldemort's words. The Dark Lord looked back and said, "Something wrong?"

Anteros blinked. "You called me 'son'," he said, still stunned.

Voldemort smiled. "You are my flesh and blood. And you are my son."

Anteros smiled. The house elf reappeared with a tray of food. He set it on the table and left with a bow. Both men reached for the food. After a few minutes of eating, Voldemort said, "I hope Hermione won't be too angry about the spell I put over the clearing."

Anteros stopped his eating. "What spell?" he asked, going on guard a bit.

Voldemort smiled. "The spell that keeps both her and Draco in the clearing until they admit their feelings to one another."

Anteros stared, then threw his head back to let loose a roar of laughter. The room must have been spelled because no one came running at the sudden sound. But Voldemort smiled. "And what about that young girl? Sophia, was her name? She likes you." That stopped Anteros' laughter. "She likes you."

"All girls like me," Anteros said, turning a bit red. He'd known about how Sophia felt about him; that she loved him despite being 5 years his junior. They'd always gotten along and she'd admitted her feelings to him the night she'd had him all to herself. Unfortunately, Anteros felt the same way.

Voldemort smirked. "Ah, but you like her back."

"And she's only 11," Anteros said, reaching for his drink. "She still has to grow up and meet other boys. Boys her age."

Voldemort sighed. "Why do teenagers have to be so difficult?" he asked to no one in particular. "Listen," he turned his attention to his son. "It's good that you care about Sophia's social life. But, one way or another, you two are going to be together."

"How do you know?" Anteros said.

"Because Divination was one of my best classes," Voldemort answered, sitting back into his chair.

Anteros took a drink so he could hide his smile. "I think," he said. "You better be careful with Hermione. She's not the hopeless romantic that I am. Sometimes, I think she should have been in Slytherin."

Voldemort chuckled. "Maybe," he said. "But at least I can play matchmaker with my own children...though I might wake up with something hexed when she gets out of that clearing."

Anteros chuckled himself before returning back to his lunch. "I think they'll be there a bit longer than that," he mumbled.

**What do you think? I wanted this chapter to be emotional and have a bit of fun in it, as well. Remember, questions, comments, snide remarks are all welcome. But, please, no flames. Thank for reading. **


	16. Chapter 16

**I'm reposting this chapter because I thought of a few things that would be better. Please re read if you read it before. Thanks and enjoy.**

Hermione slowly opened her eyes and flinched a bit as a ray of sun hit her pupil straight on. She turned onto her side, closing her eyes, and snuggled against the pillow under her cheek. She heard a soft grunt and the fabric shifted slightly. Strange. Pillows didn't shift on their own.

Hermione opened her eyes again and stared. Before her, clad in a pair of denim jeans, was a very large bulge. It was also very near her face. Memories of what happened before she'd fallen asleep resurfaced. The last thing she'd done was fall asleep in Draco's lap. She suddenly scrambled back and blushed as she realized what the large bulge actually was. Her gaze darted up, hoping Draco wasn't smirking.

He was looking at the ground to his right as if it was suddenly very interesting. He moved his legs, obscuring the view of the bulge. He'd been watching Hermione sleep, feeling completely relaxed and hypnotized by her low steady breathing; but, when she'd moved closer, her face almost touching a certain appendage of his...things just acted on their own.

Hermione turned her back and stood up, making a show of brushing dirt off her blouse and jeans. Anything to avoid Draco's eyes. Had she really just been that close to- she cut herself off in that thought. _Don't think of Draco that way. You and he just got past the enemies part a few weeks ago. He doesn't really have any feelings for you, Hermione. _ The voice in her head was annoying, but right. Stupid Lover's Fountain.

"It's getting late," Draco said, interrupting Hermione's thoughts. She turned to watch him stand up. He arched his back, raising his arms above his head. Hermione couldn't help but watch as his shirt rode up a bit, exposing hard, muscled abs. Being the Quiditch Seeker had done him wonders. She was brought out of her thoughts when Draco said, "We should get back to the Manor." He gave her a quick look that showed he'd caught her looking, before vanishing into the trees.

Hermione sighed. She didn't know how she felt about Draco, but she felt like she wanted to take a long bath. Hot water and bubbles. Lots of bubbles. They made her feel better and think clearly. Then, maybe, she'd figure out if she like him like that, or not. She sighed again and started to follow him. She saw Draco walk back into the clearing. "I'm coming," she said.

Draco looked confused, though. As if he weren't sure where he was. "But I was headed toward the Manor," he said.

"And I said I'm coming. You don't have to worry about escorting me," Hermione said, her voice a bit sharp. Did he not trust her to come back with him?

Draco shook his head. "No. I was on my way to the Manor, but found myself coming back here," he said.

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "I don't know what you're talking about, Draco," she said. "You're not making any...sense." The last part was said as she finally did realize what he was trying to say. While she'd been talking, she'd walked past him, clearly facing away from him. But, when she passed a pine tree, she'd found herself stepping back into the clearing, facing Draco.

She turned and walked away again, only to find herself walking back into the clearing. Draco was still standing there, his expression telling her 'see what I mean?'. Hermione sank back onto the boulder and groaned. "Someone hexed us to stay here," she said. She looked up and saw Draco surveying the clearing. She could see his brain working to explain what was going on.

He looked at her and said, "Do you know where Anteros went?"

Hermione looked around and noticed that her twin wasn't there. "That's odd," she said. She paused, looking at Draco. "You don't think he was the one to hex us here, do you?"

He stared at her, then laughed. It wasn't harsh or angry. It was...amused. "I wouldn't put it past him," he said. At the confused look on Hermione's face, he explained further. "Anteros has been trying to get us together since, I think, before this summer. He's gotten it into his head that we should get together. But hexing this place...that's something that seems a bit too much for him."

Hermione stared. Her brother had seen them as a good couple? Was he the one who was behind getting Draco and her alone together? Something told her that Sophia, though sneaky, wouldn't have figured out the plan to sent the two of them out on a date. She would have agreed with Anteros, seeing as she's had a crush on him for years...oh, it was right in front of her. He was so dead when she got out of here.

Hermione shook her head. "So," she said. "How do we get out of here? I recognize this hex enough to know that we have to do something to get out."

Draco smiled wickedly. "I know what _I_ want to do," he said, approaching her. She was frozen in place, captivated by his movements. She'd seen him be confident and arrogant, but she'd never seen it this much. It was...sexy. That was the only word she could think of as he stopped in front of her, her heart pounding in her chest.

He leaned over, making her lean back against the boulder, and rested his hands on either side of her head. She stared up into his silver eyes as he looked down into her brown ones. She could see the passion filling his eyes as he continued to stare at her. The silver started to swirl and grew larger as he leaned down toward her. Slowly, he pressed his lips to hers.

Draco darted his tongue out to sweep across Hermione's bottom lip and had to bite back a groan as he felt her shiver. He knew what they needed to do to leave the clearing. he'd seen things like this before...but he'd be damned if he let the moment pass without taking advantage of it. Hermione claimed that his feelings were fake because of the kiss they'd shared under the Lover's Fountain. If that was true, and she didn't have any feelings for him, why was she kissing him back and grabbing his back?

Hermione didn't remember sliding her hands up to his back, but she dug her fingernails into the fabric of his shirt as she returned his kiss. Her thoughts, so organized not moments ago, had scattered when Draco had kissed her. It wasn't like his other kisses, that was for sure. Those had all been teasing or tentative. This one, though...she'd never felt this much passion before.

She felt his hands travel to her waist. They rested on the waistband of her low rider jeans and pulled her closer. Hermione gasped as she felt his hard manhood press against her abdomen. Draco took the opportunity to sweep his tongue into her mouth and caress her tongue, which made her close her eyes and arch against his chest.

He slipped his hands under her blouse and rested his smooth fingers on the small of her back. Her bare skin was warm to his touch. Draco moved his fingers in slow, sensual circles, barely brushing against her body. Hermione moaned softly, pressing closer to him and sliding her arms up to circle his neck. The kiss deepened and Draco pushed the blouse a bit higher so his shirt teased Hermione's bare stomach.

Draco could feel her heart beat against him and he smiled. He was so close to do so much more, but knew that he had to tell her. Slowly, so as to have the taste of her still on his lips for as long as he could, he pulled back and opened his eyes. Hermione's face was slightly red and her eyes a bit glazed over. She stared up at him, plump lips slightly parted, and it took most of his willpower not to jump her right then and there.

"Hermione," he said softly, brushing his lips with hers. God, she tasted wonderful.

"Hmm?" she said, a little distracted. Okay, maybe she was a lot distracted. But, geez, Draco had lips that could make a nun commit a sin.

Draco placed his lips next to her ear and whispered, "I'm falling for you."

Hermione snapped out of her thoughts and pulled back to look him in the eye. "What?" she asked. She couldn't have heard him right.

"I'm falling in love with you," Draco said, keeping her trapped against the boulder.

"No," she said. "You're not." She sounded shaky, though. As if she were trying to convince herself. "It's just the spell from the Lover's Fountain. Or, maybe, you're just think you're feeling that way because I've been leaning on you for comfort because of my mother's death. You're not in love with me." Hermione was almost in tears by this point.

Draco groaned in frustration. "Give it up and accept the truth," he said. "I love you. It's not because you're vulnerable. And that kiss at the fountain was a coincidence and there is no magic. Well, not with the fountain, at least. Between you and me, though..." He leaned down and kissed her again. He couldn't help it. She was just so kissable.

Hermione pulled away, but Draco continued his kisses down her throat. "Draco," she said as he continued to feather kisses across her skin. "I...I-"

Draco pulled back and gazed at her. "You what?" he asked, taunting her slightly to get her to say the words that he knew she wanted to say.

She licked her lips and said, "I think you need to cool your head."

While he was stunned, she slipped under his arms and walked over to another rock, sitting down on it. He turned and watched her. Those were _not_ the words he wanted to hear.

He growled. "Amazing," he said with harsh sarcasm. "I kiss you senseless, tell you that I love you, and you just say that I need to cool my head, then walk away?"

She looked at him. "What do you want me to do, Draco?" she asked. "Throw myself into your arms and say that I loved you? That I loved you from long ago but never brought it to light because of our differences? That a Gryffindor has fallen in love with a Slytherin?"

A loud pop filled the clearing and the air began to shimmer around them. Hermione looked around and watched as the shimmering stopped. Draco sighed and smiled slightly. She looked back at him and said, "What happened? What was that?"

Draco chuckled and said, "That, dear Hermione of mine, was the hex completing its task."

She stared at him, confused. "What do you mean? What task?" she asked.

He walked over, taking her hand and kissing the knuckles like an old time gentleman. He looked up and met her dark brown eyes. "The only way to break the hex, was to confess our true feelings. And the truth is, Hermione Granger, is that you love me."

Hermione went pale, then red. She pulled her hand out of his and got to her feet. "I don't love you," she said before turning and running from the clearing.

Draco watched her go, smirking to herself. How long was she going to lie to herself?

**Hope you liked it. Review and tell me, please.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Thank you so much for the reviews. I'd also like to thank every fan out there that has stayed with this story from the beginning. I hope you enjoy every chapter. This is for all of you.**

Anteros sat on the window seat in Draco's room staring up at the sky. After his impromptu lunch with his father, he'd decided to wait there for his friend. He had to ask another guy about this Sophia business. Geez, he was older than her by five years and he'd known her since she was in diapers. But, somehow, his brotherly love had morphed into real love. The love that was for that special someone. Voldemort had said that they would be together. But was it what Sophia wanted?

The door to the room opened and Draco walked in, a satisfied smirk on his face. Anteros put a smile on and, acting innocent as to the reason why his best friend looked as if he'd won the House Cup, asked, "Something go well?"

Draco chuckled. It sounded both amused and sad. "I got her to confess her feelings for me. But then she lied and denied them," he said, plopping onto his bed and starign at the ceiling. After a few moments of silence, Draco tilted his head back and looked at his friend upside down. "Your sister loves me, Anteros," he said.

Anteros smiled. "I knew it," he said happily. "I knew she loved you."

Draco's smile turned sad, then. "Yes, but the only way she could confess it was when I goaded her into ranting. She yelled that 'A Gryffindor has fallen in love with a Slytherin' and the barrier vanished. I told her that she had just said her true feelings, but she said that it was a lie and ran off." He paused and sighed. "I think she's pissed."

Anteros laughed. "That's my sister, for you," he said. "Stubborn to the end." Would Sophia be that stubborn? God, he hoped not. He's seen her stubborn. Not a fun experience.

"Hey, mate," Draco said. Anteros snapped his head up and widened his eyes. "You seemed a bit distracted. What's up?"

"I thought we were talking about you and Hermione," he deflected.

Draco smirked. "That can wait. She'll be angry for a while. You've got a bird on your mind, haven't you?"

Anteros flushed slightly and looked out the window. He should tell him. Draco was his best friend. One told their best friend whom they loved, right? It was the thing to do? And he could trust Draco.

He turned back to Draco, who was now sitting up, facing him fully. Anteros licked his lips nervously. "I'm in love," he started.

Draco's eyes widened in surprise. "Who?" he asked. "It's that third year Ravenclaw, isn't it?"

"No," Anteros said.

"The fourth year Slytherin?"

"No."

"The fifth year-"

"It's Sophia," Anteros said a bit loudly. Draco sat frozen in place. Anteros hadn't meant to yell it, but he'd hated having all those other girls being brought up.

"Sophia?" Draco said, searching Anteros' face for any sign of falsehood. "The talkative 11 year old who's been spending the summer with us? That Sophia?"

Anteros nodded and waited for the laugh he was certain was going to come. Instead, Draco only smiled. "Oh, this is perfect," he said, chuckling.

Anteros stared. "You're not...surprised?" he said.

Draco shrugged. "I had my thoughts on it," he said. "But, who am I to condemn who you fell for?" Anteros smiled at his friend. "I am, however," Draco continued, getting off the bed. "Going to tell Hermione. She'll want to use that for payback. She still thinks you hexed the clearing."

"That wasn't-" But it was useless for Anteros to continue. Draco was already gone, the door closed behind him. He sighed and looked back out at the sky. His original plan of getting out of this mess he'd created between his friend and sister, alive, had just flown out the window. He was so dead.

Hermione stared at the picture in her hands as she laid on the bed of her temporary room. The one that was taken of them by that strange man in the ice cream parlor. She looked so happy in that picture. She looked like she'd never hated Draco before. But...did she really love him?

She let her hand drop, resting the picture on her chest. That was the question that had plagued her mind since she'd run to her room after the clearing. Draco had said that the hex had been broken because she'd said she loved him. But she'd said that in anger and to mock him; it shouldn't count. It had gotten them out of the clearing, though.

There was a soft knock on her door. She groaned. She didn't need her no good brother coming and making her depressed. "I don't want to talk to you, Anteros!" she called out. "I'm mad at you for hexing the clearing."

"It's Draco," the voice on the other side of the door said. Hermione snapped upright. "Can I come in?" She stayed silent. "Please?" Draco added.

It was the please that got her. "Alright," she said. "It's unlocked."

Draco walked in and smiled. It wasn't a seducing smile. It was a 'I've got something that's going to make you laugh' smile. She'd seen it before on Harry and Ron. But it made Draco look like a cat with a ball of string.

"What do you want?" she asked. Even to her own ears, she sounded cautious and wary.

Draco didn't react to her tone, though. He only closed the door behind him and leaned against it. He was giving her space. Good, because she really didn't want to have to worry about him kissing her and making her thinking non existent.

He crossed his arms in front of him, settling himself. "Anteros is in love with Sophia," he said right off the bat.

Hermione's eyes widened. "What?" she said.

"He just told me," Draco said. "Anteros Fletcher is in love with little, talkative Sophia."

She smiled slightly. "No kidding?" she said, feeling her anger disband.

"No kidding," he answered.

Hermione chuckled, then laughed. "I knew something was going on between the two," she said.

"They've got a big age difference," Draco said.

Hermione snorted. "Like that matters?" she said. "They like each other. Anteros said he loved her and I'm positive that she feels the same. You saw how she stays close to him and is always so happy with him. Age doesn't matter. As long as they're happy."

Draco shrugged. "I guess so," he said, his face turning thoughtful. "But what if she gets put in a different house? Like Gryffindor? It would look bad if a Slytherin and Gryffindor are together, don't you think?"

"I shouldn't matter," she said. "If they care about each other, they'll figure something out. Or they could just ignore the rivalry and date publicly."

Draco smiled slyly. He walked over to the bed and stood before her. "You mean they should ignore what separates them, and be together?"

Hermione looked up at him. Draco was so close. Somehow, she knew where the conversation was leading. Slowly, she said, "We're not talking about Anteros and Sophia now, are we?"

He smiled. "I knew you were a smart witch." His smile faded. "I know that you're hurt from your mother's death and you're not sure where you stand on who your father is. But I'm not fooling when I tell you that I love you. And I know you love me, too, or we would never had gotten out of that clearing. But," he said before Hermione could speak up and interrupt, "I will respect that you won't say it. Yet. Just know that, when you're ready to say it, I'm here."

Hermione sighed. "Draco," she said. "I'm not sure this is a good idea. I mean..." She shook her head. "Oh, I don't know what I mean. I'm just so confused. Am I suppose to hate you? Am I suppose to be your friend? I don't know anything anymore. I'm suppose to be the uptight one. Follow the rules and everything. But, now..." She trailed off, not knowing what to say. Everything was just changing so much.

Draco leaned forward and lightly kissed her forehead. He pulled back a little. "I know," he said. He smiled wickedly. "But at least we can blackmail your brother now."

Hermione laughed, her confusion forgotten. "He is so gonna pay for putting us in that clearing," she said, matching his smile with one of her own.

Draco took her hand and said, "That's my girl," before pulling her toward the door.


	18. Chapter 18

Anteros was mindlessly walking the hallway, alternating his stare from the floor to the ceiling, to the wall, to the floor again. His mind was full of Sophia. He knew that she was too young. That he'd already been with multiple women didn't help at all. She'd find out the moment she stepped into Hogwarts and talked to an upperclassman. Then he'd be dead. Sophia would kill him.

"Anteros," a firm voice said. He stopped in his tracks and turned to face Hermione. She stood with her arms by her side, her wand in her hand. His face paled as he saw the look in her eyes. Okay. Maybe Sophia wouldn't kill him. Hermione would do that.

He turned back around and raced down the hall. He heard his twin race after him. Anteros pumped his legs, channeling his wolf agility, and barely avoiding a group of Death Eaters standing in the hallway. They yelled at him, but he didn't notice. Between angry Death Eaters and an out for revenge Hermione Granger, Anteros was going to be more afraid of Hermione. He didn't even want to remember the last time he'd made her mad.

Hermione was gaining on him, though. Anteros heard her footsteps getting closer. He took a corner sharply and ran straight into Draco. He hit with enough force to fall back a few feet with a bruised nose. Anteros looked up and said, "Quick, Draco. Hide me-"

Hermione sprang on him, sending them both rolling across the floor. Anteros was pinned on the floor, his stomach pressed against the cool surface as Hermione sat on his back, his arms jerked behind him so his shoulder sockets were starting to ache. He tried to throw her off by rocking to the sides, but she only tightened her hold on his arms. After a moment of failed attempts, he looked up at Draco, who was looking amused at the scene before him.

"Draco. Get her off me," he said.

The blond smiled. "I don't know," he said. "I think you deserve it after hexing the clearing."

Anteros winced as Hermione jerked his arms. "That wasn't me," he gritted out. "Voldemort did that. He was playing matchmaker. He even said that Sophia and I were going to be together."

Hermione stopped pulling on her brother's arms. "When was this?" she asked.

Anteros lifted his head slightly to look at her. "When we had lunch." He saw the confused look shared between Draco and Hermione. "I went to him to get some answers about our mother. He totally pulled a 180 or something. He became a matchmaker, saying he'd hexed your clearing and that he'd done some Divination to see my future. He said Sophia loved me."

"You believed him?" Draco asked.

It was Hermione to answer. "Voldemort had the highest marks ever in Divination. He was one of the bests. That was why is shocked everyone when he didn't foresee his future with Harry." She leaned over so she could look her brother in the eye. "Voldemort was trying to get Draco and me together?" she asked. It was soft, as if she didn't want Draco to hear.

Anteros tried nodding his head, but felt his neck muscles pinch at the movement. "Yes," he said. Hermione sat back, staring at nothing as she processed the information. Anteros grunted at her shifting her body weight. "Um, Hermione...could you get off of me? I think I'm losing air."

Hermione looked down at him and gave his arms one last tug before getting off him. "You deserve much more for trying to play your own matchmaker, Anteros."

Anteros paled a bit. "You're not going to turn me pink and have 'I love me a good man' flashing on my back in bright purples again, are you?" he asked, a little scared.

Hermione met Draco's gaze and turned back to her brother. "You know," she said. "That's an excellent idea." She reached out and grabbed his ear, dragging him back toward her room.

Anteros cursed himself. A pissed Hermione was not the thing he needed. No, it was down right dangerous. He wished for the uptight Hermione. At least she would only lecture him to death. And Draco wasn't helping with his snickering and wide amused smile.

**I know it's short, but don't hate me. What about the punishment, huh? Pretty good, if I do so say myself.**

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**So, to get Bob out of the box, and get him his treats, please review. Thanks. **


	19. Chapter 19

**This is gonna be another short one.**

Anteros struggled against his binds. Damn it. Why did Hermione have to be so knowledgeable about rope tying? He couldn't move. Unfortunately, this left him at the mercy of his crazy potion wielding twin. If she hadn't been sorted into Gryffindor, he would have sworn she were a Slytherin.

As of that moment, she'd completed in turning his entire skin pink, and was working on the potion to make his back flash words in purple coloring. Who came up with these crazy potions? And why did she have to be so mean?

Of course, Draco wasn't helping at all. He was enjoying this, actually. He sat in a chair, smiling to himself as he looked over Hermione's handiwork. The smile he gave Anteros was one of mocking and amusement.

Anteros growled at him. "Just wait until you get Hermione mad at you," he threatened. "You'll be the one in this chair."

Draco raised an eyebrow. "That sounds delightfully kinky," he said.

Hermione looked up from her potion making as Anteros practically swallowed his tongue. "If I tie you to a chair, Draco, it won't be for anything kinky," she said.

Draco leaned forward, placing a hand on her shoulder, and whispered in her ear, "I don't know. I have a few good ideas in me."

Hermione's face turned red and she returned her attention to the potion she was making. "And they're going to stay there," she said firmly. Draco only chuckled and leaned back in his seat, watching her work away.

"Where did you find these potions?" he asked to make small talk while the potion finished.

Hermione shrugged. "Surprisingly enough, Ron found them. He wanted to find something to launch at you when you started playing Quidditch. Fortunately for you, Ron wasn't too bright and, after his first try at making the potion, ended up turning his hair pink."

Draco tilted to his side as if trying to remember the event. "I never noticed," he said.

Hermione snorted. "Why would you? It His hair was already light enough. It was hard to tell if you didn't look."

She threw a pinch of a silver colored dust and shielded her face as a dark purple cloud floated up in front of her. When it dispersed, Hermione leaned forward, whispering something in the caldron. That done, she picked the caldron up and stood next to Anteros' chair.

His eyes widened. "Come on, Hermione," he pleaded. "It took a full month and a week to get that off. School starts soon. Can't you just let me go this time? Please?"

Hermione looked as if she were considering it, then looked to Draco. "What do you think?" she asked. "Should I let him get away with trying to play matchmaker with us?"

Draco stood up and walked to stand behind her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and said, close to her ear, "I think we should thank him. He worked hard to match us up." Draco pressed his lips against her nape. "Don't you think so, Sweet?"

Hermione smiled. The feel of his cool lips against her skin was nice. And Draco had a point. "You're right, Draco," she said. "We should reward him."

She turned back to Anteros. He'd relaxed when he'd heard his friend convince his crazy sister to spare him the prank. The pink skin he could deal with, claiming it was sunburn. But he couldn't deal with the purple lettering. It was bright enough to flash clearly through any clothing.

Hermione patted her brother's head. "I should give you exactly what you deserve," she said. In one fluent move, she had tipped the caldron over her brother's head, the puce colored potion splattering all over him.

Anteros sputtered as the potion got into his mouth and ran over his eyes. "I am so gonna get you for that, Hermione!" he said as he spat out more potion. But it had already taken effect. As Anteros tried harder to get free of the restraints, he had leaned forward.

Draco read his friend's back and laughed. "'Give me all your Gryffindor loving'." Draco laughed again and kissed Hermione's cheek. "You, my dear, are a genius."

Hermione blushed under his praise. "I think it's appropriate, since Sophia is obviously going to be a Gryffindor. Just helping you out, dear brother. Just like you helped Draco and I." She patted his cheek and left the room.

Draco leaned forward and smirked. "You might not think this, but this situation is really funny."

Anteros spat out another mouthful of potion and said, "Draco, do me a favor."

"What?" Draco said, laughing some more as he re read the saying on his friend's back.

"Make sure Hermione never teaches this to Sophia."

Draco laughed again and nodded.

**Hope you liked it. **


	20. Chapter 20

**Sorry it took so long to update, readers. Midterms just finished, giving me a week of vacation. And, I had to think of where I was going to take this story next. Well, hope you enjoy this chapter.**

Hermione walked the halls of Malfoy Manor. She would stop and chat with a few portraits here and there, but mostly, she wandered aimlessly. She didn't know what to do with her days. She'd taken revenge on Anteros, wandered all over the Mansion and the grounds, and had even talked to some of the Death Eaters who didn't mind that she was on the opposite side of the war. But she was bored, now. There was nothing to do since the house elves wouldn't let her in the kitchen to cook, saying it was their job and they would do it. Unfortunately, this time to herself had given her a lot of time to think about Draco. A lot.

"Hermione," a voice said to her right. She looked up and stared at Voldemort. He was standing in the doorway of a study she'd never seen before. But, strangely, he looked different. Less...snake like. More human. His eyes weren't as slanted and his coloring was staring to lighten. "I'd like to talk with you," he said.

She paused before walking into the room. Why would he want to talk to her? About what? Maybe he wanted to talk about her revenge against Anteros. There had been so much laughter when he had finally come out of his room, that no one could breathe for a full ten minutes. But something told her that this talk was going to be a bit more serious than her prank. Hermione sat down in a wing backed chair and waited for her father to take his own seat.

"You return to Hogwarts in a month, yes?" he asked. Hermione didn't say a word. Voldemort tried again. "I must say that I enjoyed your prank on your brother. 'Give me all your Griffindor loving'. Quite brilliant."

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Is there a reason you wanted to talk to me? Or are you trying to lead the conversation to turning my brother pink again at Hogwarts?"

Voldemort blinked before shaking his head. "I'm not good at talking with children," he said. "My chat with Anteros had gone terribly before I put him in his place."

"You talked with Anteros?" she asked. She knew that Anteros had talked with Voldemort, but she wanted to hear what he had to say.

Voldemort nodded. "We talked about your mother. He wanted to know if we loved each other. Before you ask, yes, we did. Very much. But things...happened. She wanted you out of the war and took you away. I couldn't stop her." He paused a moment, remembering the last time he'd seen his love. Then he shook his head and said, "After that, we discussed you and the young Mr. Malfoy."

Hermione frowned. "You kept him in the clearing with me against our wills," she said.

He smiled. "Against yours, yes. His? Not so much." He chuckled at Hermione's look. "I've seen the way he watches you. It's obvious, even for you. Even for me, as well, and I haven't had a date in years."

Hermione couldn't help it. She laughed. "Maybe you should sign up for a dating service," she said. "I can see your profile now. 'Ambitious bald dark wizard seeks fun loving witch to take over the wizarding community. Hobbies include: long walks in reptile houses, meddling in his children's love lives by hexing them into a clearings with the opposite sex, and having awkward conversations with family members. Witch must be powerful, charming, pretty, and evil.'"

Voldemort chuckled at her description. "I may not get that many hits," he said, using jargon he'd heard Anteros say around the mansion.

Hermione shrugged, relaxing into a conversation something that could almost be considered normal. Almost. "I know Bellatrix Lestrange would love to be one of your hits," she said. "She's way too eager to be a simple follower."

Voldemort sighed and leaned back into the cushions of his chair. "Bellatrix is doing a 'Fatal Attraction' number on me. I think I might kill her at any second." He looked at Hermione and said, "What?"

She blinked and said, "You just quoted a muggle movie."

"So?" he asked.

"A _Muggle_ movie," she said. "You detest muggles. Why would you go see one?"

Voldemort looked at the flames of the fireplace they sat in front of. "Emmeline made me go see it with her. I guess it was payback for being so obsessed with the Dark Arts. Probably trying to tell me obsession can go too far. Especially in relationships."

Hermione chuckled. "Interesting choice," she said. "I would have made you watch 'Moby Dick'."

He shrugged. "Already read it," he said.

"Of course you did," Hermione said. She looked at the flames, realizing that the conversation was lapping into an awkward silence. "So," she said slowly. "About Draco and me..."

Voldemort looked up, waiting for her to continue. Hermione took a deep breath. "I'm...I think I love him." She waited for a reaction. What she got surprised her.

He smiled and said, "I know, Hermione. You have my blessing."

"Blessing?" she asked. "For what? It's not like we're getting married."

The oddest look crossed his face before Voldemort hid it. If Hermione had to name it, she would have called it confusion. He, instead, said, "I have heard that children feel anxious about their parents' feelings toward the one they want to have a relationship with. I am merely putting your mind at ease with my blessing. I will give Anteros his when he comes to me for it, of course."

Hermione stared. "That's...very weird," she said.

"What is?" he asked.

"You're so...fatherly," she said. "It's creepy, comforting, and weird at the same time. I almost want to say, 'Who are you and what have you done with the real Voldemort'."

Voldemort chuckled. "I'm trying," he said. "I know that, one way or another, this war is going to end. If I am dead when that happens, I want you and your brother to know that I will always love you. If I am alive," he shrugged. "I do not know what will happen. I merely prepare."

Hermione smiled. So that was where she got her caution from. Weird. A bell chimed somewhere in the Manor. "Dinner," she said for something to say.

Both of them stood up and walked through the corridors as if they were just a normal father and daughter on their way to dinner. They even chatted about what they guessed desert was going to be, as the house elves had taken to serving random deserts every meal. Death Eaters they passed stared in wonder. It shocked them to see this side of their Lord. It was a surprise that none of them dropped dead of a heart attack.

Hermione was slowly getting use to having the Dark Lord as her father. He had his good points, which surprised her more than she thought it would. He was just so...evil. Well, that was what the newspapers and history books said. Maybe they had gotten him wrong. They entered the dining room.

Voldemort looked up from their talk and said, "Do you mind if the Malfoys sit with us?"

Hermione looked up and noticed that Lucius and Narcissa were sitting across from her regular seat. Draco had his normal set next to hers, though. Anteros had stopped coming to meals, swearing he was going to find an spell to get rid of the potions' effects. Hermione stared at Draco. Her father's words rang in her head. The ones about his blessing. Did she want a relationship with Draco? What would it be like? Would it survive, was a better question. But, Merlin, how could she resist those silver eyes? And those lips?

"Hermione?"

She jumped out of her thoughts, realizing that Voldemort had been trying to get her attention for a full minute. She looked up and said, "What?"

"Do you have a problem with the Malfoys joining us at the head of the table for dinner?" he asked again, a slight smile at the corner of his mouth. He had noticed her staring at Draco. Who hadn't, though? All the other Death Eaters were watching the two teenagers with raised eyebrows.

Hermione blushed slightly. "No," she said. "I have not problem." She slowly walked over and took her seat next to Draco. She suddenly became very fascinated with the design on the plate in front of her.

Voldemort took his place at the head and dinner started.

**AN: Okay, those of you who don't know what 'Fatal Attraction' is, it's a movie where a married man has an affair and his mistress stalks him. She becomes clingy and it's really creepy. Anyway, what do you think? I know it may have been a bit awkward. Sorry about that. Tell me, please. Thanks. **


	21. Chapter 21

**Thanks so much for the reviews. I know Voldemort was really weird as a father figure, but I had fun putting him on the spot. Plus, I figure that he's already been softened up with Anteros' talk. But, either way, having a 'heart to heart' with a girl is different than with a boy. Well, thank you everyone who reviewed and enjoyed the story. **

Draco stared at Hermione throughout the meal. He should be nervous that his parents were sitting across the table from them, but he wasn't. He was focused on her. When she had come into the dining hall, he couldn't take his eyes off her. And when she had looked up, she couldn't take her eyes off him. It were as if they were the only ones in the world. And he had seen something in those eyes that made him happy. Honestly happy. He had seen love. Hermione was finally accepting that she loved him.

Hermione looked up at him and he was caught in those brown eyes. He was so caught, that he didn't realize she had asked him something until she had touched his arm. "I'm sorry," he said. "What did you say?"

"I said, 'Would you come with me?' I have something to ask you," she said. He nodded. Hermione stood up, pushing her chair back. The sound brought everyone's attention to the two, but she ignored the, pulling Draco after her into the hallway.

Hermione pulled him into an alcove and turned around. Before he could ask what she wanted to talk about, she had pulled him close and kissed him. He was shocked for a full half second. But he pulled her closer, pressing her against the wall, and took over the kiss. Her fingers found their way into his hair and she gripped the golden locks. Draco felt so much passion behind Hermione's kiss, it surprised him that she, the Gryffindor know-it-all, would be able to hold such a thing inside her.

Finally, they came up for air. They pulled back slightly, their breathing heavy. Draco looked down at her. "Not bad, Granger," he said, smiling.

She lowered her eyes slightly before raising them again. He saw determination in her dark irises. "I love you," she said. It was almost inaudible, but he had heard it.

For a moment, he was stunned; he didn't move an inch. Then he pulled her to him and smiled against her cheek. "Thank Merlin," he breathed. "I was beginning to think you would never say it." He pulled back and asked, "What made you finally say it?"

She chuckled. "You're never going to believe it," she said.

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Now I'm curious," he said.

Hermione smiled. "I figured it out after having a talk with my father."

He stared. "You're right. I don't believe it," he said. He took her hands and kissed them. "I promise I won't betray your love, Hermione. I'll be the best boyfriend ever."

Hermione laughed. "I doubt that, Draco," she said. "No one is perfect. But if you ever call me names or anything else, I will do to you what I did to Anteros. Only I'll make your back say, 'I am the amazing bouncing ferret'. Got it?"

Draco smiled at her threat and said, "I got it." He pulled her closer and said, "How about we seal this deal with a kiss?"

Hermione smiled and pressed her lips to his.

Anteros closed the latest book he'd pulled, and stacked it on the pile of books he'd finished. The next time he saw Ron, he was going to punch him in the nose. Where had the bloody Weasley found this potion? And damn him for giving it to Hermione.

He leaned back in his chair and forced his mind away from the problem before it drove him mad. Unfortunately, it only worked to turn his attention to the second problem he faced. What he was he going to do with Sophia?

He was worried as hell about her. After leaving her so abruptly in Diagon Alley, he wasn't sure if she had gotten home alright. She was probably worried about him. He hadn't sent her an owl and he had certainly been panicky when they had parted ways. If he were in her shoes, he would panic.

Anteros ran a pink hand through his hair and stood up roughly. He paced a bit across the carpet, his mind working hard. He loved Sophia. It was easy enough to admit it to himself. But what if he admitted it to her? What if she didn't feel that for him? She was only 11. She probably wasn't thinking about boys. And, if she were, Anteros had been like a brother to her. Maybe she only saw him like that. Either way she saw him, she would still be worried about him.

He turned sharply on his heel and walked over to the fireplace. Scribbled a note on a piece of scrap parchment, saying where he was going, and threw some Floo powder into the fireplace. He stepped into the green flames and yelled out an address. He closed his eyes as the world swirled around him. When it stopped, he stepped out of the fireplace and into the living room of Sophia's house.

He opened his eyes and looked around. He knew her parents wouldn't be home, but he wasn't sure if she was alone. Cautiously, he called out, "Sophia? Are you there?"

There was a pause, then he heard the sound of footsteps from above him. They hurried down the stairs and Sophia came running into the room. She wore a dark blue skirt and a sea green blouse. Her hair was wild, as if she had been in bed not a moment before, but her eyes widened at the sight of him.

"Anteros," she said, relieved. She launched herself into his arms and hugged him. Anteros held her, breathing in her scent and letting her chock him as she established that she wasn't seeing things. "I was so worried," she said. "You just threw me into the fireplace and I was here. I didn't know where you went or what was happening. I went back, but you were already gone. And Hermione's not at home. And Draco isn't there, either. Where were you? Are they alright? Why are you pink?"

Anteros chuckled slightly and kissed her forehead. He picked her up and took her back to her room. He'd felt her warm skin and was concerned. Sophia was known to having fevers when worked up too much. He put her under the blankets of her bed and sat next to her, holding her close to his side.

"We're all fine," he said. "As to why I'm pink, Hermione thought I did something to her, when I didn't, and this is her revenge." He stroked her hair and began to tell her what had happened over the last week. He left out the part where his father had said that he would be with Sophia, as well as telling her his feelings for her. She didn't need to hear that. Finally, he finished.

Sophia was quiet for a while. Anteros almost thought that she may have fallen asleep. She proved him wrong when she reached up and took his hand from her hair. She pulled it around so he was holding her closer. "I haven't been able do anything," she said. "Not for the past few days. I was worried about you three. At first, it was you, Draco, and Hermione. Then you and Hermione. Finally, you. I was scared and unsure of what to do with myself. I knew that school started soon, but I couldn't..." She trailed off, then sighed. "Anteros," she began again. "Promise me that you will never worry me again."

Anteros kissed the top of her head and nodded. "I promise, Sophia," he whispered.

She snuggled into his side and gripped his shirt. He watched her fall asleep, hypnotized by the rising and falling of her chest. Or the way her mouth fell open just so. She was so innocent. He knew he was a hypocrite when he thought, 'I can never love her. We're too different. She'll be in Gryffindor, I just know it. Damn. Just let her go, Anteros. It'll be easier. For the both of you.'

Anteros shut those thoughts out, though. He flicked his wand and locked the door. Slowly, so he didn't disturb Sophia, he laid down next to her and pulled her against his chest. He held her; simply held her. Knowing she was safe, his mind finally began to settle and turn to slumber.

Before he closed his eyes, and succumbed to the pleasantness of sleep, he whispered something. Wether to her, or to himself, he wasn't sure. But he put his heart behind those four words. "I love you, Sophia."

**AN: I finally had an Anteros/Sophia fluff in the story. I've been trying to figure out how to put one in there. I hope you liked it. Sorry if it seemed a bit rushed. Anyway, please review. Thanks. **


	22. Chapter 22

**Thank you so much for the reviews. They made me very happy. Now, here's the next chapter. I hope you give me an honest opinion about it. Thank you.**

Anteros slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was a bunch of hair in his face. Slowly, he reached up and pushed it away from his eyes. Looking down, he saw Sophia curled up in front of him. Her face was relaxed and her lips slightly parted. The dark circles that had once been under her eyes were now faded. Her hand was curled into his shirt, as if making sure he was still there.

Anteros ran a hand over his eyes, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He yawned and stretched. Sophia's hand curled tighter around the fabric of his shirt and she whimpered slightly. "No," she said softly. He looked down and saw that she was still asleep.

He ran a hand over her hair and kissed her forehead. "I'm not going anywhere," he whispered. Sophia only relaxed slightly, but didn't let go of him.

"She cares about you," Hermione said. Anteros looked up and saw her sitting in a chair by the door. She was dressed in a pair of regular jeans, but the shirt was definitely Draco's.

Anteros propped himself against the headboard, pulling Sophia up so she laid against his stomach. "Nice shirt," he said.

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Thank you," she said. "I needed to wear something this morning and raided Draco's closets. The jeans are his, too."

"Don't tell me you're wearing his boxers, as well," Anteros said.

She laughed softly. "No," she said. "I'm wearing my own underwear." Her eyes landed on Sophia. "She's comfortable with you. The kind of comfort you give to your deepest friends." Hermione stood up, putting her hands on her hips. "I'll see you on the train. Make sure Sophia gets there on time."

Anteros watched her open the door. "You're not going to bring me back to the Manor?" he asked.

Hermione shook her head. "I've asked father to let you be here. He readily agreed, knowing how important Sophia is to you. I'm going to stay there a few more hours before I have to go to the Burrow."

"Are you going to tell them what happened?" Anteros asked.

Hermione smiled sadly. "Yeah," she said. "They'll have to know, though it won't change their goal of finding the Horcuxes. Voldemort must die. I know that and they know that. Our connection to him won't be a factor."

He nodded his head in understanding. "How are you going to tell them?" he asked.

She smiled a bit more happily. "I'm going to show up with Draco on my arm," she said.

Anteros laughed, but quieted down as Sophia started to shift. He rubbed the small girl's back and she fell back into slumber. "That'll shake them up," Anteros said.

"I'm hoping they don't kill him," Hermione answered. She placed a hand on the knob. "I came to just tell you what the plan was." She smiled brightly. "Enjoy the rest of your summer. Be as close to Sophia as you can. See you in a while." With that, she turned the knob and left, closing the door soundlessly behind her.

Sophia slowly opened her eyes and looked up. "Anteros," she said. "Was Hermione just here? I had a dream that she was here."

Anteros smiled and shook his head. "No, Sophia," he said. "You were just dreaming. Go back to sleep. You still look tired." Sophia sleepily nodded and closed her eyes again. Anteros sank back onto the mattress and tried for sleep himself.

Hermione Flooed back to the manor and found Draco where she'd left him; sitting in a wing backed chair, sipping a cup of tea. He looked up and smiled as she took a seat in his lap. "Did you find Anteros?" he asked.

Hermione nodded. "He was with Sophia," she said. "I said that we'd meet them at the train station." She leaned down and lightly kissed his lips.

He smiled and pulled her closer, kissing a bit harder. Hermione smiled and pulled back. "What's that for?" Draco said, wrapping an arm around her waist.

She smiled. "Did you forget that we'll be going to the Burrow soon? We have to get packed and I have to send and owl to Harry, saying that I'm coming."

"Not going to tell them that I'm coming?" he asked. He looked a little intimidated. And concerned.

Hermione laughed at the look on his face and said, "You're a big boy. You can handle it." She quickly wrote a note and tied it to the leg of an owl that was dozing near by. She opened a window and the owl took off in flight.

"What is this 'it' I'm suppose to be handling?" Draco asked, following Hermione as she headed out of the library and into her rooms.

Hermione pushed her trunk open, silently thanking the house elves for bringing it and her things over a few days ago. She began to pack her clothes into it. "Probably anything. Spells, punches, poison. Not sure." She said this all as calmly as if explaining why the sky was blue.

Draco stared. "You're not even concerned that your boyfriend, the man of you dreams, may be mortally wounded?" he asked.

Hermione looked up and raised an eyebrow. "I never said you were 'the man of my dreams',

Draco. Is that ego of yours getting big again."

Draco reached out and grabbed her elbow, pulling her so she was pressed against his front. Looking down into her eyes, he said, "Something is getting big. And I thought we established all of this 'man of your dreams' stuff last night."

She blushed and mumbled, "We weren't really sleeping."

"What was that, sweetheart?" Draco said, biting back a smile. "I don't think I heard you."

Hermione looked up and said, "Then you better listen the first time." She pulled away and went back to packing. "Are you going to come with me, or stay here? Because I'm not coming back to the Manor until everything is finished."

Draco sighed and pulled out his wand. With a quick movement and incantation, his trunk appeared next to him, fully packed, and his broom propped next to it. "Might as well face the music," he said. "Now, sooner than later."

Hermione chuckled and finished packing. Using her wand, she levitated the trunks behind her as they walked back to the library. Draco carried his broom with him, grumbling something about not trusting magic to not bump his prized possession into a wall. As Hermione reached for the Floo powder, the door opened. Voldemort walked in.

He stopped when he saw the two getting ready to leave. "I had hoped for more time," he said.

Hermione shook her head. "The longer we're here, the more we become real to you. And the harder it is for you to kill us. And vice versa," she said. "It's not a happy thought, but the war is coming and we've already chosen sides. It's easier if we just see each other as enemies."

Voldemort didn't look pleased, but he nodded. He's lips twitched into a small smile. "You're so much like your mother," he said. "Logic. Always logic."

Hermione smiled and gave him a small hug. He returned it, rubbing her back as a father would for a daughter about to move out for the first time. They stayed like that for a while, then pulled apart. Hermione returned to the fireplace and threw the Floo powder in.

"The Burrow!" she said loudly, and the green flames surrounded her, taking her to the Weasley's home. She stepped out of the fireplace and was immediately pulled into a hug by Ginny. "I got the letter," she said, smiling at Hermione. "Harry and Ron are outside, playing Quidditch with Fred and George. "

Hermione smile and said, "Well, I guess it's best."

"For what?" Ginny said.

"I want them to meet my new boyfriend and I hope they'll allow him to stay with us for a whie until school."

Ginny smiled. "You have a boyfriend? That's great. Who is he?" Just then, the green flames appeared and Draco stepped out, levitating the trunks behind him. Ginny's eyes widened. "Draco Malfoy!" she said.

"What about the ferret face?" Ron said, walking in with Harry beside him. They paused as they saw Draco standing next to Hermione with both of their trunks. They turned to stare at Hermione in shock.

Hermione smiled sheepishly. "Surprise," she said.

**AN: What do you think? I could use some ideas about the big sit down in the next chapter. Very much appreciated. Thanks. **


	23. Chapter 23

**Thanks so much for the reviews of RainingTearsandPixieDust and haileydelacour101. It took these two reviews and mixed it with an idea that popped into my head. I know that it's short, but I thought it was funny. Thanks, guys. P.S. I wrote this ten minutes after the reviews, so excuse any mistakes I missed. Thanks.**

Hermione sat on the couch in the living room. Draco sat next to her, his arm draped behind her on the couch. Ginny on the arm rest of Harry's chair while Ron glared at Draco from another chair. There had been silence for full three minutes since coming into the room.

Finally, Hermione couldn't take the silence anymore. "Say something, will you?" she said.

"At least you chose someone good looking," Ginny said.

Harry looked up at her. "What about me?" he said.

She smiled. "You're good looking too. But Malfoy has that certain bad boy thing. You've got the top dog thing I like." Harry seemed pleased with her answer.

Ron huffed. "I don't care if he's the best looking bloke in the world," he said. "Hermione is not suppose to be with him."

Draco raised an amused eyebrow. "Oh?" he said. "She should be with you, then?"

Ron nodded, his face turning red from a mixture of both rage and embarrassment. "She should," he said.

"Well, she's not," Draco said. "She's mine. Which means I can do this." He pulled Hermione close to him and lowered his head to her lips.

She reached up and placed her hand over his lips, though, stopping her. "You better be kissing me only because you want to, and not because you want to irritate Ron," she said.

He smiled and said, "Can't I do both?"

Hermione smiled sweetly. "Sure you can," she said. "If you want your skin to be a dark red with 'I'm an amazing bouncing ferret' flashing on your back in Gryffindor gold."

Draco paused and slowly leaned away. He removed his arms from around her and returned them to the back of the couch. Ron stared, interested. "What? Is the Slytherin Prince scared of a muggle-born's threats?" he mocked.

Draco shot him a look. "Hers, yes," he said. "Especially when I know she's capable of doing what she says. She turned Anteros pink."

There was a pause as the other said nothing. They were looking at Hermione, who had a smug look on her face. "You turned Anteros pink?" Harry said.

Hermione nodded. "And made his back flash 'Give me all your Gryffindor loving' on his back in purple neon," she said.

Ron snorted, trying to hold back his laughter, but failed. He doubled over in his chair and laughed hard. "Slytherin's...smooth talker...'Gryffindor loving'...can't...breath," he said around his laughter.

Ginny watched her brother laughing and couldn't help it. She started to giggle, then she, too was laughing. Harry started laughing, as well. The laughter was contagious, as it spread to Hermione and Draco. Soon, they were all laughing loudly.

Fred and George came in and paused. They looked at each other, then at the five laughing teenagers. "We're out of here," they said in unison. They turned on their heels and walked out. They got to the front door and closed it, still hearing the laughter.

George summoned a sign and stuck it to the front of the house. Fred leaned over and read it out loud. "Caution. Crazy laughing and hormonal teenagers beyond this point. Enter at own risk of being laughed to death or having ear drums burst from sound. You've been warned." He smiled at his twin. "Nice touch, mate."

George smiled. "I liked it," he said. "Come on, let's go fly a bit more."


	24. Chapter 24

**AN: So sorry it took so long to update. The site wouldn't let me for the longest time. Sorry. So, here's the next chapter. **

Molly Weasley walked into the living room, holding the sign Fred and George had put on the front door. She didn't expect to see the teenagers laughing their heads off and rolling on the floor.

"What is going on here!" she said loudly.

The laughter faded as they all looked up at that plump woman. "Sorry, mum," Ginny said, standing up and sitting back on Harry's lap. "Ron started laughing and we just couldn't help it."

"And, why, pray tell," Molly said, "Was Ronald laughing hard enough to make the rest of you laugh, as well? And make Fred and George put this sign on the door." She put the sign on the table between them.

Ron looked at it and looked like he was about to laugh again. "No, Ron," Hermione said. "Don't laugh again or we'll never stop."

"Hermione!" Molly said, hugging her. "When did you get here?"

Hermione smiled against the woman's shoulder. "A few minutes ago. I'm here for the rest of the summer." She pulled back and smiled sheepishly. "I also brought my...boyfriend. Can he stay, as well?"

Molly smiled and clapped her hands. "Oh, my dear girl," she said. "Finally! You have a young bloke for yourself. Of course he can stay. Where is he?"

Hermione turned and pulled Draco up from the couch. "He's right here," she said.

Molly looked at Draco and narrowed her eyes. "You haven't put her under a spell, have you?" she asked.

"No, Ma'am," Draco answered. He squeezed Hermione's hand. He was never good with meeting parents, even though Mrs. Weasley wasn't Hermione's mother.

"Are you treating her right?" she asked.

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Are your intentions pure?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Would you do anything to hurt her?" Molly asked.

"I would never hurt her intentionally," he said.

Molly studied him and Draco swallowed hard. He squeezed Hermione's hand nervously. Ginny and Harry chuckled together as Ron smirked happily. Finally, Molly smiled. "Good boy," she said, patting his cheek.

Ron's jaw dropped. "You're just going to let her go and date ferret face, mum?" he said.

Molly turned to her son. "Ronald Weasley, it is entirely possible for a person to change for the one they love," she said. "Even though Draco terrorized you and Harry and Hermione for the past five years, lorded over all of you with his pureblood and wealth, not to mention supported the Dark Lord; does not mean that he can't change his ways."

Draco winced. With everything laid out in front of him like that, it wasn't encouraging. Hermione chuckled and looked up at him. "Don't worry," she said. "They'll give you hell for the past few years, then they'll start liking you." Her eyes darted to a certain red head. "Of course, Ron may never like you. He's been in love with me since the Yule Ball."

Draco leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Who could blame him? You were stunning."

Hermione met his silver gaze and blushed.

"What are you two whispering about over there?" Ron asked.

Draco looked up. He smirked and said, "Nothing that concerns you, Weasel."

Ron's face turned red and he started to get up from his chair. Harry held him back and Hermione glared at Draco. "Why must you antagonize him?" she asked.

He smiled. "Because it's fun," he said.

Hermione rolled her eyes. She turned to face him and pointed a warning finger at his chest. "From now on, if you're going to stay in the Burrow, you'll be nice to everyone. Harry, Ginny, and especially Ron. You got me, Malfoy?"

Draco sighed and saluted. "Yes, Captain," he said.

Hermione smirked and said, "Very good, Private." Draco smirked and Hermione blushed. "I didn't say that," she said quickly.

He reached out and pulled her close, smirking. "Oh, but you did, love," he said. "You did."

Draco leaned forward to kiss Hermione, but Molly cleared her throat. They looked over at her, looking sheepish. "Draco," Molly said. "You'll stay in the same room as Ron and Harry. Hermione, you'll stay in Ginny's room, of course. Now, go put your things away and I'll start dinner. Oh, and go make sure Fred and George don't set fire to the field."

They scurried to do what they were told. The girls had finished first and were now sitting outside, watching Fred and George fly around their home made Quidditch field.

"So," Ginny asked. "How did you and Draco get together?"

Hermione took a breath and said, "Well, Anteros Fletcher is my twin. Yes, I know it's weird and a shock, Ginny, and I'm sorry I didn't say anything sooner. Anyway, we spend every summer together, just the two of us. Anteros came to me on the train and said he wanted to invite someone for the summer. I wasn't thrilled, but I agreed. I didn't know it was Draco until we were driving home. I made a promise to Anteros that I wouldn't kill him. And we started to be civil. I don't know when we started to be friends, but it happened and then..."

"You two fell in love," Ginny finished for her.

Hermione giggled. "Is it that obvious?" she asked.

Ginny laughed. "Hermione, if you were glowing any more, I would think that you and Draco-" she gasped. "Hermione," she said. "You didn't do it with Draco...did you?"

The brunette blushed. "Ginny! How could you say such a thing?"

"How could Ginny say what?" Harry asked, walking out of the Burrow with Ron and Draco.

Ginny turned to her boyfriend and said, "Hermione did it with Draco!"

"No!" Hermione said, throwing her hands up as the boys stared at her. "We didn't. Ginny's just joking." She gave her friend a hard glare.

"I don't find it funny," Ron growled, glaring at Draco.

"Why?" Draco asked. "I think it was hilarious."

Fred flew close and hovered above them. "Hey, Hermione," he said. "If you ever get lucky, just come to me. I'll give you a cond-"

"Don't even finish that sentence, Fred Weasley," Hermione said, her face turning red. Fred chuckled and flew away. Hermione hung her head and hid her face in her hands. "Why me?" she mumbled.

Draco leaned over and kissed the outer part of her ear. "Because they all love and care for you," he whispered. "Just like me."

She spread her fingers to peek out. She saw Draco smiling. "Really?" she asked. Draco nodded. Hermione threw her arms around his neck. "You are so stupid sometimes," she said. He only chuckled and held her.

"Come on," Ron said. "Let's play some Quidditch."

**A Month Later on the Hogwarts Express**

Hermione sat in the compartment she usually sat in with Harry, Ron, and Ginny on their way back to Hogwarts. Hermione had wanted Sophia to sit with them but, ever since Hermione had visited Anteros at Sophia's house, the little girl stuck to Anteros like glue. Not that he minded. The two were currently sitting in the Slytherin car with Draco.

"So," Ginny said, making Hermione look up from one of her newer text books. "Are you going to tell the school about you and Draco?"

Hermione laughed. "That might be the most single worst thing I could do at this point. With a war just around the corner, telling everyone that Draco is my lover is just as bad as announcing that Anteros is my brother."

Ron looked up and stared. "What did you call Malfoy?" he asked

Hermione paused and paled. She ducked down behind her book, but Ginny grabbed it from her hands. "Hey!" Hermione protested.

"Spill," the red head said.

Hermione blushed and looked at her knees. "Well...Oh, I can't say it."

"Don't have to," Harry said, hiding a smile. "I thought you looked happier this morning." Hermione grabbed the book and hid behind it from Ginny's laughter, Harry's smile, and Ron's glares.

**At Hogwarts, the train station**

Hermione climbed into the last carriage and sat down across from Draco. She'd been talking to Hagrid and had missed the carriage her friends had gotten into. The only one left had been Draco's. Hermione was secretly happy. And more so, when she saw that Anteros and Sophia were seated in the carriage as well. Apparently, Dumbledore wanted to see Sophia before the hat sorting and had asked Anteros to bring her up in the carriage.

"Did you have a nice ride, Sophia?" Hermione asked.

The girl nodded. "It was fantastic. I love trains. And I love the Hogwarts Express. Did you see the sweet trolley? So much candy! But Anteros only bought me a few chocolate frogs. Those are amazing, but it felt weird to eat something that was moving. And Draco was so nice! Though we were in a private compartment. How was your ride?"

Hermione chuckled at the girl's rushed conversation. She had missed it. "It went fine...except," she said, looking at Draco sheepishly. "They...found out."

Draco paled. "How?" he asked.

"I apparently was happier this morning," she said.

He laughed. Draco leaned across the carriage and pulled her into his lap. "Well, you were very happy when we parted ways this morning," he said before he kissed her. Hermione kissed back, cupping his cheek with her palm.

"Get a room," Anteros said, but they could hear his smile.

Hermione pulled back and looked at her brother. His skin was back to normal and his back wasn't flashing anymore. Her potion hadn't had it's usual kick to it. She pulled a face and Sophia laughed. "I'll snog my boyfriend if I want, Anteros Fletcher. I'll have to be mean to him until we graduate. Or until summer comes."

Draco nuzzled her neck and she returned back to him, kissing his lips once more before the carriage stopped. Hermione groaned, not wanting to be at the castle so soon, but slid out of Draco's lap and straightened her clothing. Draco put on his fake puppy dog eyes, but replaced it with his usual Malfoy look. Hermione put her own game face on, adding a sneer. As if she had been tortured to ride with the Slytherins.

They stepped out of the carriage for another year.

**AN: I know this chapter is a bit weird and the time warp was weird, too. But I'm adding one last chapter. The Epilogue. I wrote this out a while ago, so don't be mean to me. Tell me what you think. As soon as Fanfiction lets me post. What is with the site, anyway? Whatever. Review, okay? Thanks. **


	25. Chapter 25

Hermione hummed a tune on the muggle radio as she pulled a baking sheet out of the oven. She turned and scooped the cookies onto a cooling rack. She swayed her hips to the music until two arms wrapped around her neck and a pair of cool lips touched her heated skin. She smiled and said, "If you make me drop just one cookie, Draco Malfoy, Anteros will kill you. Not to mention his hormonal pregnant wife."

Draco reached out and snatched a cookie. "Sophia loves me," he said. "She won't kill her favorite brother-in-law over a...No, she would." He leaned against the island in the kitchen and munched on the cookie, smiling at Hermione. She laughed at how at ease he was. Today, he wore a pair of muggle jeans and a flannel shirt she'd gotten him a few Christmases ago; and his hair was a mess.

Hermione leaned forward and brushed a strand of hair out of his eyes. "Draco," she said. "I distinctly remember that shirt being red. Not green."

Draco looked down at his shirt and smiled at her. "I just made a slight tweak. Now, I can be proud of my wife's gift." He kissed her on the lips.

Hermione pulled away slightly and said, "I was wondering how long you were going to wear the red before changing it. For the long wait, I'll give you another cookie."

Draco laughed and took another cookie. He looked around. "Why so many?" he asked. "This is more than you made all those years ago when you were kept here by the Death Eaters." Hermione met his eyes and he sighed, finally understanding. "The anniversary," he said.

Hermione nodded, turning the ovens off. "Ten years, today, the war ended. Many lives were lost and loves were found." She looked up. "You proposed two days after the battle, Harry proposed to Ginny, Ron announced his six month marriage to Pansy...and that stupid brother of mine was confessed to by sweet Sophia. Couldn't even beat her to it. At least he beat her to proposing."

Draco laughed and held her again. "But your father..." he said.

Hermione picked up a cookie and stared at it. "He loved my cookies," she said. "Told me so when I sent him a plate full for Christmas. And another for Easter." Hermione put the cookie down and buried her face into her husband's shoulder. "I miss him, Draco," she said, tears starting to fall down her cheeks.

Draco rubbed her back and made comforting sounds. "I know, honey," he said. "I know." They stayed like that until she stopped crying. Slowly, he pulled her back and smiled. "Hey, how about we make up the usual plates. One for Anteros and Sophia, one for Harry and Ginny, Ron and Pansy, a large one for the rest of the Weasleys, and a plate full of the best for my parents."

Hermione laughed. "Why do your parents have to get the best?" she asked.

"Because, sweety," Draco said, rubbing her arms and smiling. "The only reason they let me marry you, is because of your wonderful cooking. If you don't prove your wonderful cooking skills, they'll make me divorce you."

Hermione took a handful of flour and threw it in his face. He sputtered and spat some of it out. "Your parents love me, dear husband," she said around her laughter. "And if you divorce me-"

"You'll turn my skin red?" he asked. He reached out and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her against his hard chest.

"You betcha," Hermione said, giggling. "But you're all dirty."

Draco looked down at himself and said, "So I am. Well, since it's your fault, you should take responsibility for cleaning me up." He smirked. "And I haven't seen my favorite tattoo in a while." He lifted her over his shoulder and made his way up to their rooms.

The House elves popped back into the kitchen. "Finally," Twinkle said. "Those two left."

"I can't stand newlyweds," Babble said, putting the ingredients away.

"They've been married for eight years, Babble. They're not newlyweds," Twinkle said. She started on making the plates for everyone. The Master and Mistress were going to take a while. Twinkle took extra time to make Anteros and Sophia's plate look special. With their expected baby, Sophia was more focused on pretty things and the like. And could be a terror when provoked. Twinkle didn't need her Master coming home with half of his hair shaven off...again.

After they finished with the plates, Twinkle and Babble looked at each other. "Guess we should start making dinner," Babble said. Twinkle nodded.

Every year on the anniversary of the war, the Malfoys threw a large dinner party. They invited every Weasley, Fletcher, and other school mates and survivors of the war. They would laugh, catch up, and celebrate being alive. And, every year, at the stroke of midnight, Mistress would stand up and raise her glass. Every year, she said the same toast. "To Friends and Family. To the ones that survived, and the ones we lost. A war was won, but many more will come. But, every year, we will meet on this day, with these people around us that have seen our world...and we will know that we are all victors. That we, though once enemies, are now friends, family, and lovers. To us, my friends." And everyone would raise their glasses high and say "To us" before drinking. No one ever left tear free.

Mistress was strong, but she remembered what the Dark Lord had once said when watching the young Master and Mistress play in the Manor's yard with Mr. Anteros and Ms. Sophia during the Christmas holidays. "Twinkle, those four are going to be together one day."

"Slytherins and Gryffindors?" Twinkle had asked, looking at the humans. The girls were decked out in their red and gold house colors, the boys dressed in their black and silver cloaks.

The Dark Lord had chuckled. "Twinkle, the difference between Slytherin and Gryffindor...is the colors."

**AN: Well, that's it. Hope you liked it. What do you think? Hope you enjoyed it as much as I had fun writing it. Thanks for reading. **


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